The Demon Lord, Haruko
by Saddened Soul
Summary: WA3 The group discovers a strange mask, only to delve into something much deeper when a powerful demon is unleashed upon the world.
1. Chapter One

(Hm... I'm really discouraged to write one of these, but does it matter? If I get one flame, one flame, this story's gone. I haven't beaten WA3 yet, so I won't list many of the facts. I'm not good with personalities though...)  
  
The Demon Lord, Haruko-Chapter One  
  
Virginia closed her eyes, re- attempting to sleep. She felt tired, yet relieved that most of the troubles were over. However, she felt uncomfortable about the future.  
She sat up, not able to sleep. Deciding to take a walk, Virginia stood up and walked over to her door.  
Jet leaned back against his chair, taking a short gulp from the wine bottle. He closed his eyes. "Why can't I just ignore this? What am I supposed to do now?"  
"Jet?" He opened his eyes and turned to see Virginia standing next to the stairs.  
"What?" he asked. Virginia shook her head and sat next to him. "I can't sleep so, I just came to see what you were doing."  
Jet stood up. "Well, mind me asking why you can't you sleep?" Virginia smiled slightly. "I'm just worried about what's going to happen when we take our different paths."  
Jet walked over to the door. "Isn't it obvious? We'll all take our own paths. It's not like it'll change anything. Everything will just be the same before we met up. I'm fine with it." He exited the saloon, leaving Virginia to follow him.  
"How can you say that?! We worked together to get where we are! So, how can you say everything will be the same?"  
Jet climbed on his horse. "Maybe it'll be different for you, or everyone else. But maybe you never really took the time to think about everyone else's problems. I hope you don't think we're all the same, because if you do, then I wonder if you changed yourself."  
"What?" Virginia murmured. "I'm going for a ride," Jet stated as he rode out into the night.  
Virginia walked back into the saloon. She leaned against the wall. "Have I changed? When I became a Drifter, I really only thought of myself, but what about now?"  
Gallows and Clive walked into the saloon fully awake, only to see Virginia resting leaning her head on the table, sleeping.  
Gallows walked over to her. "Ginny, wake up. It's morning."  
Virginia opened her eyes and sat up. She rubbed her face. "Gallows, where's Jet?" she asked, looking up at him.  
Gallows frowned. "Haven't seen him."  
Virginia stood up. "Sorry, I'll go get ready." Virginia speedily walked up the stairs. Gallows looked up. "Okay, we're going to take a morning ride," he called after her. He then turned to Clive. "That is, if you want to come?"  
Clive smiled and pushed his glasses up. "I have nothing more to do."  
The two walked out of the saloon, the sun bright. They walked onto the dry ground to see Jet sitting down on the porch.  
Gallows turned to him. "Hey punk, where have you been?"  
Jet looked up at them. "I was thinking, and where are you two heading off to?"  
"We're taking a ride, want to come" Gallows answered. Jet stood up. "Why not?"  
The three rode out into the hot wasteland, a few monsters attacked, only to be fought off.  
"So, there a reason you dragged me out of the shade?" Jet asked. Gallows turned to him. "Hey, you were the one who wanted to come."  
"Both of you, come help me," Clive stated, attracting the attention of the other two.  
Clive ran over to a young boy lying on the ground. "Are you all right?" he asked urgently as the boy looked up at him.  
He was wearing a white shirt with beige pants. Dark blue hair covered his hair. "I- I'm fine. Just a little shaken up, that's all," he said weakly.  
Clive nodded and helped him up. "Gallows, do you mind him riding with you?"  
Gallows shook his head and helped the boy up onto his horse.  
Jet watched a tad annoyed. He began to turn when he noticed the boy had a strange mask sticking out from his pack. It resembled the masks of the demons, which sealed the Dark Spear, but something was different about the mask. Jet almost thought he saw it glow, but shook it off and began to ride back to the saloon. 


	2. Chapter Two

(Somebody liked my story! How grateful I am for that...)  
  
The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Two  
  
Virginia scratched her nose as the group walked into the saloon. She stood up immediately when she saw Gallows helping the boy into the room.  
"What happened?" she asked as they set the boy down in a chair. Clive looked up at her. "We found him out in the desert. He seemed to be dehydrating, but we were able save him just in time. He just needs some water."  
The boy gratefully took a gulp from the glass of water set in front of him. "I really must thank you. You people saved my life, so I am in you debt," he said as he put the glass down.  
Virginia smiled. "Just as long as nobody's hurt. By the way, we didn't catch your name."  
The boy smiled. "Todd McCleney, at your service."  
Jet took a few steps forward. "I was just wondering, but where'd you get that mask?"  
Todd reached into his pack and took it out. "You mean this? I purchased it from some eccentric merchant. It was really a bargain. Why do you ask?"  
Jet leaned against the wall. "Just wondering."  
Gallows glanced outside. "Um, guys, I think we should get moving. It's starting to look a bit well, gloomy."  
Virginia stood up from her seat. "I agree. Let's get going. We don't want to be stuck here, right?"  
As the group walked from the saloon, Todd followed them "Excuse me, but is it alright if I travel with you for a bit? I am in your debt. Maybe I could help you?"  
Virginia turned to him. "Why not? Sure, you can come with us," she answered, smiling.  
Gallows and Clive turned to her. "Miss Virginia, are you absolutely sure he can travel with us?" Clive asked.  
Virginia smiled. "Of course he can. We helped him, and he wants to help us. What would it hurt?"  
Gallows placed a hand on Clive's shoulder. "Exactly, what's the harm if he does come?"  
Clive shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to make sure we don't have any problems."  
Jet disregarded their conversation as he prepared to begin riding, until Todd walked up to him. "Um, Mr. Jet, may I ride with you. I won't cause any problems, I just don't have a horse."  
Jet shrugged. "It doesn't really matter. Just be careful. I don't want to be responsible for any problems."  
Todd nodded. "You have nothing to worry about. I'm quite used to taking care of myself, actually."  
With that, Jet and Todd were off, while the others hurried to catch up.  
As the group slowed down to a slow trot, Virginia rode over next to Jet.  
"Um, Jet, I have to apologize for yesterday. I guess I really never thought about everybody else."  
Jet turned to her. "Your apology's accepted. It's nothing to dwell too much on."  
Virginia smiled. "Okay, As long as you're fine." She then rode over to Gallows and Clive.  
Todd rubbed his nose. "Excuse me Sir, this doesn't involve me, but, Virginia seems to be quite fond of you."  
This statement almost pushed Jet to laughing. "Whatever gave you that idea?" he managed to ask as he chuckled slightly.  
Todd shrugged. "Just by the way she smiled at you, I presume."  
Jet closed his eyes. "I doubt that's the case."  
The group traveled for awhile, the clouds starting to gather up.  
Gallows looked up, sniffing. "Guys, you won't believe me, but I think I smell rain." Jet trotted up to him. "Gallows, we're in the desert. I doubt it'll rain." Just as Jet said that, a raindrop fell on his forehead.  
Gallows smirked as a slight drizzle began to fall. "Looks like you were wrong, and I was right."  
Jet snorted, seemingly annoyed from this comment.  
Clive pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Our leader and I suggest we find shelter, while the weather is decent."  
Gallows galloped forward. "Guys, we can rest in that cavern over there. It'll provide us shelter."  
Fortunately, the cavern was large, allowing the team and their horses to keep dry.  
The group ate a small meal, allowing Todd to explain about himself.  
"I was basically alone. The elderly lady that looked after me passed away, so I became a Drifter, determined to survive on my own," he explained as the three Drifters listened. Jet sat by the entrance, staring at the rain.  
The sky grew dark, the rain not letting out. Actually, it fell harder, spraying a small mist into the cavern.  
Gallows and Clive drifted to sleep, while Virginia and Todd discussed about their different hometowns. Jet watched the rain, but listened at the same time.  
Eventually, Todd grew tired and turned in as well. Virginia sat in the corner and began to read a book, using some fire Arcana to apply some light. Jet decided to rest his eyes.  
An hour seemed to pass, Jet drifted into a light sleep. Suddenly, he heard a voice. The voice was cold and empty, shaking Jet a little.  
"Hello Mr. Enduro, it's nice to meet."  
Jet opened his eyes. "What?" The voice laughed. "A simple introduction Mr. Enduro, that was all it was."  
Jet folded his arms. "Who are you?" he muttered, trying not to alert Virginia. The voice chuckled. "My identity is of no concern to you Mr. Enduro, besides, I'm sure you have a slight idea."  
"Sorry," Jet replied, "I don't."  
The voice laughed. "Well, if you truly are curious, travel east from here to a small town. I'm sure you'll find out there."  
Jet winced. "Fine. Just one question, why are you invading my privacy?"  
The voice did not answer this time. Jet closed his eyes and let out a small laugh. He then went back to sleep. 


	3. Chapter Three

(Okay, let's see... I guess this chapter's number three, right?)  
  
The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Three  
  
The rain continued to fall for the rest of the night, but by morning, the sun had regained composure.  
The group set out at dawn, not wanting to waste any time.  
"The rain might have been a sign of abnormal weather conditions. We don't want to be caught in a snowstorm, correct?" Clive asked. Gallows frowned. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean we have to wake up the second the sun comes out." He turned to Virginia. "Besides, Ginny doesn't seem to have gotten much sleep."  
Virginia rubbed her eyes. "I'm okay Gallows, really. I'm fine."  
Clive turned forward. "I'm just in thought about where to go." Jet rubbed his nose. "We're heading east."  
Todd raised his head. "Then that means I wasn't hallucinating. You really did hear that voice."  
The other three members seemed confused. Clive looked at Jet. "What does he mean? What voice?"  
Todd continued. "Last night, while I was asleep, I heard this voice. It was talking to Jet. It told him to go east, but didn't you guys hear it too?"  
Gallows and Virginia shook their heads.  
Clive seemed deep in thought. "For now, I suggest we disregard the voice and head for the east. Besides, it's the only lead we have."  
The group continued eastward, neither of them bringing up the subject of the voice.  
After about an hour of riding, they found a semi- large town. Figuring it as the town the voice had spoke of, they decided to stay for the night.  
Upon entering the town, Virginia, Gallows, and Clive went to arrange for a room, as well as other trivial errands. Jet leaned against a building. Just as Todd was about to follow the others, he called him over.  
"Todd, can we talk?" Jet asked as Todd turned. He nodded. "Something wrong?" he asked as he walked over to Jet.  
Jet shook his head. "No, I just have to clear something up. Are you sure you heard that voice?"  
Todd nodded. "Of course I did. I'd never lie to people who saved my life."  
Jet folded his arms. "You also said you didn't have a family right? No recollection of memories until a few years ago?" Todd nodded once again.  
"Is there a reason you're asking me these questions Mr. Jet? If there's something wrong, you can talk to me about it."  
Jet shook his head, allowing Todd to continue. "I wonder, maybe I wasn't the only- he thought, being cut off by a sudden thought.  
Jet began to follow Todd.  
The saloon was dusty, seeming to have not been cleaned for awhile. Virginia looked around. There did not seem to be anyone at the desk.  
"Well well well, if it isn't Virginia Maxwell and her band of Drifters." Virginia turned around to see Maya Schoedinger standing in the doorway. Alfred and Shady were sitting at a table, talking.  
Virginia turned. "Maya! I didn't expect to see you guys here. Um, where's Todd?" Maya acquired an annoyed expression. "He said he had to take care of "personal matters", whatever it is he's doing."  
Clive pushed his glasses up. "Well there must be a reason you and your comrades have come here. What might it be?"  
Maya smirked. "We've heard rumors of ruins northwest of here. We decided to gain some more information before we go and check it out."  
Virginia clapped her hands. "Great! I guess we'll head out there ourselves!"  
Todd sat on a small bench. Jet caught up to him, slowing to a walk.  
An elderly man approached Todd, taking notice of the mask in Todd's pack. "Excuse me young man, but where did you acquire that mask?"  
Jet listened and got closer, curious of the mask himself, even though Todd had already answered the question, he was still curious.  
Todd stood up. "I bought the mask actually, why?"  
The man stroked his chin. "When I was a young boy, my father told me of a legend passed down in my family. The legend spoke of a terrible war between humans and demons. The war ravaged Filgaia, however, the demons had barely been defeated. Yet, one demon survived the onslaught, taking all of the deceased demon's souls. He absorbed them, gaining absolute power. The humans were successful in barely sealing him in a mask."  
Jet walked up. "So, you think this is that mask?"  
The man shook his head. "No, the mask only reminded me of that legend. Besides, the legend goes on to say the humans locked the mask in a great temple, beneath the sands. However, it also said that every century, the temple raises from the desert."  
The man nodded and walked away. "Every century? Could this mask be the same one?" Jet thought as he turned to look at the man walking away. 


	4. Chapter Four

The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Four  
  
Jet and Todd walked around the town for awhile, searching for the saloon. When they finally found it, they were greeted by the conversing of Virginia and Clive. Gallows was well, getting drunk.  
"What are you all doing?" Jet asked as he walked in. Virginia looked up. "Well, we found a lead to a ruin. And, Maya and her group are also heading there."  
Jet snorted. "Don't you think that's stupid. Our competition knows where we're going, so they probably already departed and are taking all of the treasure for themselves. Ever think about that?"  
Clive nodded. "Yes, it would be wise for us to head off."  
Virginia smiled. "All right then. Let's go!"  
She stood up and turned to Gallows. "Hey! Come on! We're leaving!"  
Gallows stood up. "You're kidding right? I mean, we just got here!" Virginia smiled once more. "Well, that way we'll save time!"  
"Whatever. Let's just get going," Jet commented.  
The group began to travel northwest. It was safe to assume Maya had already reached the ruins, causing the group to hurry.  
Suddenly, the winds began to blow extremely hard, blowing dust all over the place. Soon, there was a cloud of dust covering much of the land.  
Immediately, the group found themselves lost among the dust.  
"I believe this is another cause of the abnormal weather," Clive explained to Virginia. Virginia frowned. "Yeah, but don't you think it's a bit strange? I mean, is it just coincidence that this dust storm happens, now? Right when we're in a hurry?"  
Clive shook his head. "I'm not exactly sure. However, we must regroup quickly, or become scattered. Virginia nodded in agreement.  
"Um, where do you think the others are?" Gallows asked as Todd, Jet, and himself continued to trot through the dust.  
Jet turned his head. "I don't know. But, we better hope we don't get lost. If that happens, then we're stuck."  
Todd trotted forward. "Guys, I have a feeling we should go this way. Guess you could call it a hunch."  
Jet shrugged. "A hunch? Well, it's better than nothing." He began to follow Todd, while Gallows did the same.  
Two hours passed while the Jet and his two accomplices did not seem to get anywhere.  
"Todd, are you sure you know where we're going?" Gallows asked. Todd turned. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Todd said this with a strange red glint to his eyes. Jet took notice of this, but did not bring it up. He still was not exactly sure what was going on.  
Suddenly, the ground shook. "What was that?!" Gallows exclaimed as another tremor occurred. Jet gritted his teeth. Todd smiled slightly. "It's nothing to worry about," he said.  
The ground shook harder, and then suddenly, a large worm like creature erupted upward.  
"What the Hell is that thing?!" Gallows yelled out. Todd laughed. "Are you truly that frightened of it? It's nothing more than a guardian, summoned to protect this place from trespassers."  
Jet took out his machine gun. "Whatever it is, we have to kill it."  
Gallows removed his gun from its holster and jumped from his horse.  
Pinchers erupted from the worm's head, as well as huge purple wings from its back.  
It screeched and dived towards Todd, who calmly sat on Jet's horse, smiling. "What the Hell do you think you're doing?!" Jet shouted as he pushed Todd out of the way, while the poor horse galloped out of the area, as did Gallow's.  
Gallows quickly loaded his gun and fired at the beast. The bullet shot through the worm's outer covering, purple ooze spurting out.  
Jet rolled and fired as well, making multiple hits on the worm.  
The attacks did not seem to faze the worm as it burrowed in the ground and erupted, aiming for Gallows from the back.  
He turned and jumped backwards. When he landed, he delivered a few shots at the creature as it burrowed once more.  
Gallows pulled on the trigger, only to find he was out of bullets.  
The creature erupted again, however, Jet had predicted its movements, and hastily jumped onto it. He then jammed his ARMs into the creature and rapidly pulled the trigger.  
The creature screeched in pain as the bullets sailed through its head section.  
Upon seeing he was out of bullets, Jet jerked his ARMs loose and flipped off.  
The worm fell with a thud, slowly disintegrating. Unfortunately, its fall had knocked the already weak ground in, creating a large hole. Jet and his Gallows fell in, while Todd jumped in.  
Gallows fell on the hard ground, while Jet landed shakily. Todd landed behind them.  
Gallows stood up, rubbing his head. "Ugh, where are we?" Jet looked back. "Definitely not out. The ground's caved, sealing the exit."  
Todd walked forward. "Hurry, there's no need to waste time, correct?"  
Jet began to follow him, while Gallows staggered behind.  
Gallows glanced at the wall, and began to stare at it. "Strange, I think we've landed in an underground ruin. These symbols on the walls seem to be ages old."  
Jet glanced at the wall himself. "Maybe, but that's not exactly what's bothering me," he said as he turned back to stare at Todd.  
"What was that noise?" Virginia asked Clive as they continued to trot. Clive looked around. "It sounded like a large explosion. Something happened."  
Suddenly, the dust dissipated, leaving the two sitting on their horses in the desert.  
"I didn't think you would be able to get ahead of us," Maya said as she and her two accomplices approached Virginia and Clive from the back.  
"By the way, what happened to your other comrades?" she asked, looking around. Virginia turned to her. "We got split up. We don't know where they are."  
Alfred scratched his head. "Sister, why don't we help them out? They're at a disadvantage without the other two." Maya frowned. "Fine. You two can come with us. But it's not my problem if you can't find your little friends."  
Virginia and Clive nodded, and then began to travel with Maya and her accomplices.  
"I wonder if Clive and Ginny are okay?" Gallows asked himself as they continued walking through the hallway.  
Todd smiled. "There's no point in worrying, all will be satisfied soon. Yes, very soon."  
  
(Heh heh... I'm having a really good time writing this... Interesting isn't it?" 


	5. Chapter Five

The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Five  
  
"I wonder where this hall leads?" Gallows thought aloud. Jet snorted. "Do you mind not asking anymore stupid questions? It's getting annoying."  
Gallows frowned. "Sorry, but something doesn't seem right. I have a strong feeling. But all I sense here is evil, as if it's infested this place for a long time."  
Jet closed his eyes. "I think I know what you mean."  
The three continued to walk until they reached a dead end. "Now what?" Gallows asked, curious. Todd turned. "Just a simple precaution. That's all it is," he stated as he touched the right wall. A small tremor occurred, and a new passageway appeared.  
"This way. Please follow me," Todd ordered. Jet and Gallows followed without question.  
The passage stopped mid- way, revealing a large abyss.  
Todd continued to walk, ignoring the abyss. "How is he walking on air?" Gallows asked, shocked. Jet gritted his teeth. "Didn't I tell you to stop asking stupid questions?"  
Jet followed Todd, and after a a minute, Gallows joined them.  
Gallows could faintly hear the sound of rushing water. "What's that?" Todd continued to walk. "It is Panekeia fluid. It runs through all of this place."  
They continued to walk until they reached a huge door. Todd quickly placed his hand on the door, causing it to open.  
The door led into a huge chamber. A large sphere hung from the ceiling and rows of bright purple liquid flowed through the walls. A flight of stairs was settled before a large wall with a huge design on it. Two spheres were placed in two hollows on separate sides of the design. In the center was an empty hollow that was shaped in the form of a mask.  
Todd walked onto the altar and took out the mask. Jet stepped up. "I've had enough of this game. Who the Hell are you?"  
Todd turned. "I thought we've already been through this Mr. Enduro. Why should I tell you now that we're so close?"  
Jet gritted his teeth. Todd laughed. "Don't worry. You two are about to witness something that has never graced the eyes of mankind."  
Todd placed the mask into the hollow. Immediately, the lines of Panekeia lit up. The mask glowed a bright green, as did the spheres.  
Todd smiled. "Long ago, the remaining humans that survived the war sealed me in this temple. Of course, they locked me in this mask, the Mask of Tragedy. They then placed these two spheres, one of judgement, and one of passing. And then, to make sure I would never escape, they filled this temple with Panekiea, the Panekiea they drained from all of their dead allies."  
Todd laughed once more. "However, they didn't expect the overwhelming power of the temple to exert itself each century."  
Jet placed his hand on his ARMs. "So, that means that you're that demon that that old man talked about!"  
Todd turned. "Perhaps you could say that, but it doesn't matter anymore. Once I release myself using the life force of this boy, no one on this pitiful planet will be able to stop me. The spell which locked me in this mask has been long forgotten."  
Gallows looked up at him. "He's a demon, using Todd's body?" Jet nodded. "I'm pretty sure."  
Todd turned to the wall. "But allow me to cease the conversation. Now, prepare to witness the greatest thing your eyes will ever see!"  
A large black aura surrounded Todd's body, and his eyes became completely red. "Haza, no deraza, karasu, guvagia!" Todd shouted some incantation, and a huge white light escaped his body. The temple began to shake violently, and the Panekiea spurted out of the wall.  
The light began to seep into the mask. The moment this happened, Jet yelled out in pain and collapsed on the floor. He stood up and continued to cry out. "Jet!" Gallows yelled.  
The light completely entered the mask, and a huge dark wave of energy passed through the entire temple.  
Jet regained his composure and balanced himself with Gallows help.  
They both looked up to see Todd fall to the floor before the flight of stairs. Gallows ran to him and helped him up.  
Jet turned his attention to the altar to see a strange black ooze begin to take form. The mask fell to the floor, lifeless.  
The ooze took the shape of a human. The demon had silver hair, and his cold and black. He wore a black coat, with a black shirt. His skin was a damp blue.  
"I truly didn't expect my newest form to take on human clothing, but it doesn't matter. I have been released from that piece of clay, and now, I can continue with my plans."  
Jet and Gallows looked up at him. "He feels so... so evil. I can barely look at him," Gallows stated.  
Jet took out his ARMs. "I don't care who he is, or if he's evil, he's going down."  
The demon laughed. "Mr. Enduro, what makes you think you can kill me with a pathetic weapon like that?"  
Jet ignored him and pulled the trigger. The bullets hit him, knocking him down. Jet turned to Gallows. "How's he doing?" Gallows squinted. "Well, his pulse is a little weak, but he should be okay."  
Jet turned to the rubble of the altar. "That means he didn't absorb all of his life force. Why not?" Jet thought.  
The demon rose from the rubble and dusted himself off. "Now Mr. Enduro, I might not be at full power, but I can still kill you."  
The temple shook again, dust falling from the ceiling.  
Gallows turned to Jet. "I have a feeling that this place is going to crumble. We have to get out, now!"  
Jet nodded and ran to the only available opening. Gallows picked up Todd and followed.  
Rather then going o an exit, Jet and Gallows found themselves going upwards. "Aren't we supposed to be going down?" Gallows asked as he dodged a piece of rubble from the ceiling. Jet looked back. "How do you expect me to know!"  
They seemed to be running on a stairway, which spiraled around a huge tower filled to the brim with Panekiea.  
Virginia and Clive galloped up front, while Maya and her group was in the rear. "What's going on at that temple?" Virginia asked as she and the others stared at the entire midsection of the temple begin to crumble and fall apart.  
She turned to the others. "We have to hurry! The temple's falling apart!" She then quickly galloped towards the temple, with Clive and the others in her lead.  
Jet and Gallows reached a dead end at the top of the temple. "What the Hell is this?!" Jet yelled out in anger.  
Suddenly, the demon appeared before them. "I have to say, you two are pretty fast, but it ends here."  
Jet gritted his teeth and glanced at Gallows. "You ready?" Gallows nodded.  
Gallows then quickly put Todd down and fired at the demon, which took him off guard. Jet then quickly performed the Gatling technique, firing three rounds at the demon, which knocked him through the wall.  
Jet speedily rolled through, with Gallows and Todd right behind.  
The rest of the temple crumbled away, breaking apart below them. Jet and Gallows watched in amazement when the dust cleared to see the tower of Panekiea holding up the platform of which they were standing on.  
That was all that was left of the temple.  
Gallows breathed a sigh of relief and fell on the cold marble, hitting his head. He sat up, rubbing his head while taking in his surroundings. All of three of them were on top of a silver marble platform with several pillars scattered around. Vines of ivy stretched across the platform and around the pillars.  
"I guess we're at the top of the temple," Gallows stated. Jet looked around. "Actually, what's left of the temple."  
Suddenly, a black mist appeared before them and took the form of the demon.  
He stared at Jet and Gallows, smirking.  
"Well, Mr. Enduro, I presume now would be the time to answer your question. "I am Haruko, the last of the demons." 


	6. Chapter Six Part One

(This chapter will mainly focus on the fight between Jet, Gallows, and Haruko. Just so you know.)  
  
The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Six; Part One  
  
Haruko folded his arms, his smile never ceasing. Gallows and Jet felt a strange sensation coming from him. He was calm, not even worried. He seemed to be focused on one objective, the death of both of them.  
Jet and Gallows took hand of their ARMs, prepared to fight. Haruko laughed. "Well, my powers are still weak, so I guess I'll take them out for a test drive."  
Haruko held his hands in front of them. After a moment, the platform shook and two black spheres of energy appeared above both of his hands.  
"Now, let the fun begin!" He threw the spheres in the air, and they bursted straight towards the two Drifters.  
"Move!" Jet shouted as he rolled out of the way, avoiding the blast. Gallows jumped away. The blast circled around and came back.  
Jet gritted his teeth. "Let's try the Arcana!" Gallows nodded and a yellow aura surrounded him. Gushes of wind surrounded the sphere, and in a few seconds, it dropped to the ground as a boulder.  
Jet continued to run until he neared a pillar. He then flung out his hand. A rush of wind spiraled from beneath the sphere and soon became a tornado. The tornado swirled around the sphere and spiraled into the air, exploding. A great burst of black filled the sky, blinding Jet and Gallows.  
Suddenly, the darkness disappeared, leaving Jet and Gallows standing in the center of the platform. "Where'd he go?" Gallows asked. Jet gritted his teeth. "Be alert."  
Suddenly, a stream of black ooze fired straight at Gallows. He saw the ooze, but had no time to react as it pinned him to the ground.  
Haruko jumped down from one of the pillars. "It seems I can manipulate my body while it is still unstable. Doesn't it intrigue you, Mr. Enduro?" Haruko asked as his arm reformed.  
Jet readied his ARMs and quickly rolled and shot the ooze off of Gallows, who then jumped up and fired at Haruko, blowing a piece of him off.  
"We got him!" Gallows exclaimed. Jet reloaded his ARMs. "Hold on, I don't think we've won just yet."  
Haruko then began to laugh as his entire right side reformed itself, fully rejuvenating him.  
"I must say, you both are really helping me in testing out my body. I haven't used it in so long, my body still has to learn and remember everything my mind does."  
Gallows backed up next to Jet. "What do we do now?" Jet shook his head. "I don't know."  
Haruko smiled and held out his arm. A black aura surrounded it. He then swung his arm, revealing a huge black energy wave, heading straight for Jet and Gallows.  
The wave traveled extremely fast, hitting Jet and Gallows the moment it was unleashed.  
The shock of the hit knocked the two Drifters to the edge of the platform.  
Haruko began to walk towards them. "I'm truly not impressed. I expected much more from you two."  
They both stood up slowly, waiting for Haruko's next move. Jet slowly walked forward. "Gallows, cover me." Gallows nodded. "I got your back punk."  
Jet quickly ran forward, but then accelerated to Haruko's backside. He caught Haruko off guard, just barely being able to use the Gatling technique.  
Haruko took the whole impact of the attack, giving Gallows enough time to use the Petrify Arcana. Haruko began to convert into stone.  
Jet then brought his hand to the ground, summoning the Inspire Arcana.  
The bolts of lightning hit Haruko at full power. The impact of the blows shattered the stone, breaking Haruko into many pieces.  
Gallows plopped down on the floor, as did Jet. "Did we get him?" he asked as Jet reloaded his ARMs.  
Jet shrugged. "Maybe. But we never we really did that to Janus. Not that he's as weak as Janus, he can fully recover," Jet answered. Gallows nodded know what you mean."  
"Come on! We have to hurry!" Virginia called out as she climbed the stairway. Clive stared at the Panekeia flowing through the tower. "What could this substance be? I've never seen anything like it before."  
Maya and the others caught up to him. "We can all appreciate the pretty liquid later, but for now, could you please move!"  
Clive nodded and continued upwards.  
Virginia suddenly stopped walking. "That... that feeling. It's so strong. I can't stand it..."  
Virginia grasped her head and suddenly stumbled, falling off of the stairs. "Miss Virginia!" Clive cried out. Virginia quickly realized and grabbed onto the railing.  
Maya helped her onto the small platform. "You okay?" She asked, helping Virginia up.  
Virginia nodded. "Sorry, there's just a very strong sensation coming from the top."  
The pieces of Haruko began to dissolve. "What the?" Gallows mumbled as he stood up. Jet jumped up. "How, how could he have survived that?!"  
The dissolved ooze began to reassemble into Haruko. "That was a very clever maneuver, but unfortunately, it hasn't seemed to affect me."  
Jet gritted his teeth. "Not even the Arcana affected him! Damn!" Jet thought. Suddenly, a thought entered his head.  
"Gallows?" Gallows turned to him. "Yeah?"  
Jet rubbed his nose. "This might not work, actually, I thought of it in five seconds."  
Gallows stared at Haruko. "I don't care if it doesn't work. I'm pretty sure we're out of options anyway."  
Jet nodded. "Maybe, we could combine our Arcana attacks. It might be our only option."  
Gallows began to sweat. "Fine. If it doesn't work, we'll just die a painful death."  
Jet nodded and held out his hand. An orb of electricity formed in his hands. Gallows held out both of his hands, forming hundreds of small pebbles to float from the platform.  
Haruko golded his arms. "What could they possibly be thinking. I doubt it's anything they've tried before. I'm sure they're much smarter," he thought.  
Jet clenched his fist, and a flurry of winds passed by, swirling into a huge tornado. Gallows lifted his arms, causing all of the many pebbles to fly into the tornado.  
Jet slammed his fist into the ground, creating bolts of lightning, which surrounded the tornado.  
Soon, the entire mass merged together to form a huge mass of light energy.  
Virginia watched the entire display of lights along with Clive, Maya, and the others. "What is that?" she asked as Clive stepped forward. "I'm not sure, but it feels very powerful. Perhaps, too powerful."  
"You ready?" Jet asked as he tried with all his might to hold the energy there. Gallows nodded. They then shot their hands out unleashing the blast. Haruko smiled. "Interesting. How very interesting."  
The blast hit him head on, creating a large explosion which created a large crater. Fortunately, Todd's body was nowhere near the explosion.  
Jet and Gallows were equally out of breath. "I... do not want to ever do that again." Jet nodded. "Yeah, it takes a lot out of you."  
However, the platform started to shake violently. Haruko slowly stood up, his body slowly healing.  
Jet and Gallows watched in horror, as well, as shock as Haruko became completely rejuvenated, not even a scratch was seen on him.  
"That's... impossible! He couldn't have survived that!" Gallows yelled out. Jet readied his ARMs. "I don't understand, how?" he thought aloud in shock.  
Haruko smiled. "I'm sorry. I presume I didn't tell you two about my other technique, which allows me to absorb large quantities of energy. The energy is then transferred to me, making me more powerful. And, I even gained a new trick."  
Haruko held out his hand. A powerful shock- wave erupted from it, hitting Gallows head on. The impact sent him flying over the edge of the platform.  
Jet ran to the edge only to see his comrade continue to fall through the air.  
Gallows suddenly grabbed onto the railing, barely holding on.  
Haruko smiled. "It didn't kill him. It just froze his muscles. He's immobilized, that's all."  
Jet turned to Haruko. "What, what are you after? What will you gain by doing this?"  
Haruko laughed. "What I want? Mr. Enduro, perhaps you never truly thought about the endless possibilities that lay before me. But does it matter? Right now, you ask me these questions. But like I said before, why spoil something which will be revealed later on?"  
Jet gritted his teeth while Haruko smiled. "Besides, right now, it's only you and me." 


	7. Chapter Six Part Two

(Hmm... Well, it's just Jet and Haruko now... I bet my chocolate- chip cookies on Haruko!)  
  
The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Six; Part Two  
  
Jet could fell himself growing tired. It was as if his energy was slowly being drained. He doubted it was Haruko, just some after affect.  
But it did not matter. He knew very well that even if he was at full strength, Haruko could still easily pick him apart.  
Haruko stepped up. "Actually Mr. Enduro, I really must thank you. You were so intrigued by that mask that followed everything I said. And then, you and your friend generously hand me that enormous amount of energy. Really, thank you."  
Jet gritted his teeth. "I don't care for your thanks. Besides, you're not going to get a 'your welcome'."  
Haruko laughed. "Yes, I know. I just wanted to take it off my mind."  
Jet then readied his ARMs and shot. Haruko smiled and disappeared, reappearing next to one of the pillars. Jet followed him and continued to shoot. Haruko repeatedly disappeared, avoiding all of the shots. He then reappeared behind Jet. "Behind you."  
Jet turned, only to be hit right in the face with the shock- wave attack that Haruko used on Gallows. He flew a few feet, landing on the cold marble.  
Jet slowly stood up, the immobilizing effects of the attack seemed non- effective.  
Haruko smiled. "Well, it seems the effect of the attack didn't work. That fine, actually better, but I wonder why? Humans are usually paralyzed in one blow."  
Jet readied his ARMs once again and winced. "Sorry, but I'm not completely human, actually, in a way, I'm not. I'm a machine, an experiment."  
Haruko frowned. "A machine? How very interesting, but it's strange. How could a machine experience the feeling of fear, which is exactly what I'm sensing from you, yes, you're frightened of me Mr. Enduro? Do not feel ashamed, I completely understand the reason. Besides, you're fighting an ancient demon with powers you've never seen."  
Jet gritted his teeth. "What are you trying to say? I'm not all machine. Maybe I'm not, but I don't care right now. All that's on my mind is surviving."  
Haruko smiled. "Understandable. So, let's see the extent of your skills."  
Haruko jumped high in the air. Jet was about to fire at him, when he felt the floor shake beneath him. He looked down and jumped back, barely avoiding a huge beam of dark energy. Another one sprouted, causing Jet to dodge. Just as he was about to fire, Haruko appeared behind him and grasped Jet's face.  
He then forced Jet into the ground, causing a large shock- wave. Haruko pressed on Jet, forcing him to stay in place. Jet gritted his teeth and grasped his ARMs. "Get off!" he yelled as he shot Haruko right in the face.  
Haruko staggered back, grasping his face. Jet jumped up and used his Inspire Arcana. The bolts of lightning struck Haruko, causing a small explosion.  
Jet took the time to try and recuperate. However, he got no time as Haruko stepped from the smoke. "Now Mr. Enduro, allow me to demonstrate the correct way to perform it."  
Haruko held out his hand, a small black fire appearing in it. Suddenly, a one huge bolt of black lightning struck Jet. He shouted in pain as the bolt dissipated. The blow caused Jet to fall to his knees.  
Haruko walked forwards. "Do you understand Mr. Enduro. Can a machine truly feel pain and suffering? I doubt it. You know, there once existed beings quite like yourself." Haruko kneeled down next to Jet. "These beings were called Elws. They were not human, but very close to it. Unfortunately, they became extinct, mainly because of the war."  
Jet quickly stood up and fired. Haruko smirked and quickly disappeared and reappeared behind Jet. Jet turned and shot, but Haruko side- stepped and used the shock- wave technique. The impact attack sent Jet crashing through one of the pillars.  
He landed on the ground, barely able to stand up. Haruko walked over to him and grabbed him by the throat.  
"Well Mr. Enduro, I have to say, you think about more than you want." Jet gritted his teeth. "Took another look into my head?" Haruko slowly shook his head. "No. It was when I spoke to you in the cavern. In truth, I doubt you really understand even yourself."  
Jet pointed his ARMs at Haruko and pulled the trigger. Haruko plainly stared at Jet. "It seems you're out of bullets."  
Jet threw the gun aside. Haruko dropped Jet on the floor and held his hand in front of his face. "Goodbye, Mr. Enduro."  
Jet did not flinch. He was prepared to face death, even if he was frightened of it.  
Suddenly, a gunshot was heard. Haruko stared at the small hole in his stomach. "Hmm, it I cannot heal. I guess I exerted too much energy while toying with these imbeciles," he thought.  
Haruko smiled. "Well, Mr. Enduro, I presume we shall meet again."  
Haruko slowly walked back and disappeared.  
"Jet!" Virginia yelled as she ran over to him. He slowly stood up, turning to face his comrade.  
Clive helped Gallows stand. "I guess that guy got away." Clive looked at him. "Who exactly are you speaking of?" Gallows sighed. "A demon, the last of them."  
  
(Darn, well I guess Haruko escaped. Don't worry, he'll be back.) 


	8. Chapter Seven

(This chapter's not going to have much action like the last one. Just thought I would let you know.)  
  
The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Seven  
  
Todd opened his eyes. He was lying in a bed, aside from him was Jet, also in a bed.  
Todd sat up. He felt weak, as if all the energy in him had been drained. He had no idea where he was, or how he got there.  
He got out of the bed, and not wanting to disturb Jet, slowly walked to the door.  
Todd opened the door to see Clive looking at a book; a few others scattered across a small table.  
"Excuse me Mr. Clive, but what are you doing?" Todd asked as he took a seat on the couch next to Clive, who turned to look at him.  
"Oh, nothing much. Just looking through some old books. Are you all right?"  
Todd nodded. "I'm fine. But, could I talk to you about something?"  
Clive nodded, confirming Todd, who rubbed his face.  
"While I was asleep, I had a dream. It's been pounding on my head the entire time. It never went away."  
"What was the dream about?" Clive asked, seemingly interested. Todd sighed. "It started with me lying in a bed. I could make out people standing around me. Maybe, five, six. They all had upset expressions; some of them looked tired. But it was strange, I felt like I was dying. I couldn't see too clearly, my vision was all blurry. But, that's not the end. After that scene, everything went black, and when I woke up again, I was in a small chamber. I could hear voices, but couldn't understand them completely. I think the most I made out was a voice saying something about a project failure. And then another one said something of advancing too quickly. I didn't understand any of it. But I felt, like I was really in the dream. I felt weaker than I am right now, and my head felt like scrambled eggs."  
Clive looked back at the book. "Maybe it just wasn't a dream. You know, there have been some cases in which dreams speak of other thoughts. Some may even be lost memories, barely scraping up to the surface."  
Todd glanced at a book and picked it up. "Do you mind if I stay for awhile?" Clive shook his head. "Not at all. I guess it'd feel less lonelier with someone else interested."  
Todd looked around. "This is a really nice place. Where are we?" Clive looked around. "This is my home. We're in the town of Humphrey's Peak."  
Todd nodded and glanced at the book Clive held in his hand. "Anything in particular you're researching?"  
Clive looked back at the book. "I'm trying to find a few facts about the great- war which devastated Filgaia. They say demons were involved. I'm trying to find a few things which might assist us in the current situation."  
Todd nodded, and looked at the book he held in his hand. The book was titled, "Ancient Artifacts of the Known World."  
Todd opened it up. There were a few pages torn out. "Strange, it looks as if someone tore them out quickly with their hand," Todd thought.  
Clive's wife, Catherine, entered the room. "Oh, I see you're up. Would you two like anything?"  
Clive smiled and shook his head. "No ma'am," Todd replied glancing back at the book.  
Catherine smiled, nodded, and walked away.  
Virginia and Gallows walked in, just as Jet closed the door behind him. He quickly glanced at each of them and passed Virginia through the doorway.  
"What's up with him?" Gallows asked as Virginia walked to the door. "I'll go see what's wrong. Gallows, you help Clive," Virginia ordered as she walked out of the house.  
Gallows glanced at the five books on the table and frowned. He sat down on one of the chairs as Clive looked at him. "I haven't gone through those two," he said, pointing at two books at the end of the table.  
Gallows frowned and picked one up.  
"I don't understand. He could've killed me, he could've both of us. But he didn't. He toyed with us, played with us until we broke down. He spared us, but why. Why didn't he just do it?!" Jet thought.  
Virginia walked up to him. "Are you okay?" she asked, sitting down next to him.  
Jet glanced at her. "Why do you have to be so nosey? Can't you leave someone to their privacy?"  
Virginia smiled slightly. "Sorry, I just wanted to help."  
Jet closed his eyes. "Look, I'm sorry, I... I," Jet managed to stutter out. Virginia frowned. "What?"  
Jet sighed. "That fight... it got me thinking about a few things."  
"About what?" Virginia asked. "Like, what has all of this meant. So what if Filgaia is slowly rejuvenating. It doesn't matter. That Haruko guy could easily change it back, and put everything we've done to waste."  
Virginia smiled. "Is that what you've been worrying about?"  
Jet shook his head. "It's not the only thing."  
Virginia looked at the town around her. Only two people besides themselves were out of their houses. She glanced back at Jet. "Um, I know I'm not the best leader, but I try. You guys aren't just my companions, you're my friends. If one of you is troubled well, I am too."  
Jet stood up. "Look, that's your thing if you want to help people. But some people have to get through their problems. I don't need your console, so just leave me alone."  
Jet walked off out of the town. Virginia stood up as it began to drizzle. "I'm just, I don't even know what I'm supposed to do."  
  
(I know this chapter was like one of those space fillers, but it was supposed to lighten some key parts up. Remember to review.) 


	9. Chapter Eight

The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Eight  
  
The black cloak swayed in the wind as the man stood before the gates to Humphrey's Peak. His black hair dropped to the bottom of his neck as he held the shard in his gloved hand. "This should be the place. I hope I have it right."  
Gallows closed the book. "Um, Clive, what exactly are we looking for?"  
Clive looked up from his own book. "Anything that deals with demons. However, if you feel tired, we aren't forcing you to help."  
Gallows blinked and leaned back against the chair. "All right then."  
He closed his eyes and attempted to sleep, when there was a sudden knock on the door.  
Clive stood up, attempting to answer the door when Catherine walked into the room. "It's all right, I got it," she said as she turned to Clive.  
She opened the door to reveal a man with a black coat standing before the doorway. He was holding a suitcase in his left hand, and his right was safely tucked away in his coat pocket.  
"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Clive nodded. "Yes, yes it has."  
Jet leaned against the sign, which identified the town. He sighed. "You don't give up, do you?" he asked as Virginia walked up to him.  
She looked at him. "I guess I'm really not the best leader. I'm not even a decent one."  
The rain began to fall harder. Jet glanced at Virginia. "I should be the one apologizing. I'd just like some time alone."  
Virginia moved her hands behind her back. "I know, but... you always seem so distant from everyone else. How am I supposed to know when you're crabby?"  
Jet turned his head. "Crabby? That the best word you can come up with it?" Virginia kicked a stick on the ground. "I don't know. I'm tired of thinking. Do you ever fell like that?"  
Jet closed his eyes. "I guess I do, sometimes. But we all have to think. Don't you have some people to be helping?"  
Virginia smiled slightly. "Yeah, I do, but I'd rather be here. You know, sometimes you think a little too much. Everybody's got to relax, even when they're down," she said, nudging Jet. "Whatever," he replied, looking away.  
Virginia giggled. "Can't you say something more than whatever!" Jet sighed. "Okay, here's a new word for you to think about, persistent. As in, Virginia is a very persistent person."  
She smiled. "Okay, okay, I get it." She glanced at the falling rain as it fell on the ground.  
"Come on, I think we have some people to help," she said as she tugged on Jet's arm.  
Jet rolled his eyes. "Fine. At least I don't have to nag and annoy people to make them cooperate."  
Virginia laughed. "You've got it all wrong Jet, it's my charm that attracts people."  
Jet rubbed his nose. "Yeah, your charm. Not like you have any though," he mumbled.  
Virginia punched him in the arm as they continued back to Clive's home.  
The man set his suitcase on the table. "Quite useless to go through uncharted books isn't it Winslett?" the man asked, a small smile on his face. Clive stared at him in a small state of shock. "Morgan, it's been five years. I thought you were gone."  
Morgan opened the suitcase, revealing a small stack of files, a vile of Panekiea, and a pen.  
"Well Winslett, I didn't really disappear, but I decided to start exploration, exploration of Filgaia."  
Clive glanced at the suitcase's belongings. "But, why have you popped up, why now?"  
Morgan smiled. "I guess I just thought you needed my help. Besides, you are trying to find something, so why not I give you what you want?"  
Clive pushed his glasses up. "You, you have information on demons?"  
Morgan took a piece of paper from the stack. "Yes, actually, I have a lot."  
Catherine walked up to Clive from behind. "Honey, who is this man?"  
Clive glanced at her. "He's Morgan Casacade. He's a friend of mine, a friend."  
  
(Yep, I know this chapter was short, but bear with me, the plot will get more interesting.) 


	10. Chapter Nine

The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Nine  
  
The rain pounded against the glass windows as Morgan explained his findings.  
"You say the demon was invulnerable to all attacks?' he asked as he stared at Jet and Gallows. They both nodded.  
Morgan flipped through the stack of papers. Seeming to not have found anything, he looked up. "I think I know what could render him vulnerable."  
Jet looked at him. "Are you sure? We tried everything against him. He either dodged it or regenerated. It was useless."  
Morgan smiled. "Well, nothing is invincible. Demons are just like anything else. You see, demons rely on energy. If they run out or use too much, it is impossible for them to execute more advanced maneuvers. If this demon were to be drained of his energy, he could be attacked, or most likely, be killed. Luckily, I have something which can do just that."  
Morgan reached into his coat pocket and took out a shard. It emmanated a faint glow. "This particular gem could easily absorb all of the demon's energy and use it against him. However, from what you have described, this gem will not nearly be strong enough to work. It would shatter from the massive amount of energy."  
Clive looked at a few papers. "So, to weaken him, we must find more gems?"  
Morgan smiled. "Well, we can merge the gems together. We just need to find enough. There is no need to scour the world for a large gem, now is there?"  
Clive smiled. "I have to thank you Morgan, you came just at the right time."  
Morgan nodd and stood up. "Yeah, but I feel a tad tired. Could I by chance stay for the night?'"  
"I don't see why not," Clive answered.  
Gallows stood up. "Hold on, you said your name was Cascade. Are you related to a Janus Cascade?"  
Morgan nodded. "Yes, he is my step brother. We both have separate mothers."  
Morgan glanced at everyone. "If you excuse me, I think I'll take a short walk."  
As he walked out of the door, Gallows yawned. "I think I'll turn in early tonight. All this demon talk going to give me nightmares."  
This comment made Jet chuckle slightly, seemingly amused. Virginia elbowed him, annoyed.  
Clive smiled. "It's strange. I thought I would be able to return to my life here. But it seems we are still forced to work together."  
"Does it bother you?" Virginia asked. Clive shook his head. "No. Actually, I quite enjoy myself." He stood up and walked over to the door and walked out.  
Todd continued to stare at the book on the table for a few minutes. He felt weaker, as if he was quickly losing all of his demons. He felt like he was going to puke. He turned a pale color and collapsed to the floor, the urgent voices of Virginia distorted.  
Todd awoke in a white room. There was a glass window at the top of the room, however, no one was there.  
"Where am I?" he asked as he stood up. "Death is something not many can avoid. It was a miracle you survived, but at a high cost."  
Todd looked up. "Who are you?" he asked feeling light headed. "The advancement of human life is too difficult to be controlled manually. Nature should be allowed to take its natural course, advancing life at the moment it should. Yet, the curiosity of humans is much too great, causing many problems. This is the consequence of their actions."  
"What do you mean?!" Todd yelled. "Life, is created by nature, but even that has limitations. Humans have found a way to surpass nature, not creating a human, but creating a new life. An alternate evolution, created, not born."  
Todd backed up against the wall. "Life tampered with is scarred, twisting from its original path into something much more chaotic. The stability of a weakened life is fragile, easily controlled. Those that do not see beyond their own actions are soon faced with the consequences. The tampering of life has grown too far, science has turned against itself, creating a very unstable tear, one which can never be repaired. Those who disrupt nature shall face their fate, while nature in itself can never follow the original path it was to take. The result of tampering with life is a chaotic and desolate consequence, which shall continue to mutate into a disruption much too great."  
Todd grasped his head. "Stop! Please, stop!"  
"The interference with nature shall not go unaccounted for. Those that caused the suffering shall suffer themselves. Science is not knowledge, but an attempt at beings that are much too foolish to try and advance to a level which is much too absolute for them. These beings shall suffer for their questions, questions, which are never to be answered. Unanswerable questions..."  
Todd started to breathe heavily. "Unanswerable questions... Yes, unanswerable to the point where people can not tolerate it. I understand, yes I understand."  
  
(If you didn't figure it out, Todd's having a dream.) 


	11. Chapter Ten

(In the last chapter, Todd wasn't having a flashback, but a holding a conversation with "himself" in one of his secluded memories.)  
  
The Demon Lord, Haruko-Chapter Ten  
  
Endless rows of clouds covered the sky. The sun was shielded, allowing a large blanket of shade to cover the wastelands.  
It was a nice break from the heat the sun gave off, but the abnormal weather continued.  
Todd opened his eyes slowly. He felt extremely tired. He looked around to see he was in the same room as before. The door opened as Clive entered and walked over to a bookcase.  
"Mr. Clive, what happened"' Todd asked tiredly. Clive turned. "You fell unconscious, but it seems you are all right now."  
Todd nodded. "Are the others still here?"  
Clive shook his head. "They decided to search for other shards of that gem. I decided to continue researching, using Morgan's notes."  
Todd stood up. "I have to go."  
Clive looked at him. "What are you talking about?" Todd glanced to the floor. "I have a feeling they're going to need some help."  
Clive thought for a moment and nodded. "All right. Take my horse and rifle. They went south of here."  
Todd nodded and walked out of the room.  
"So, the place with the gem is close by?" Gallows asked as he turned to Morgan, who nodded. "Yes, there should be other shards there. I didn't journey through the entire ruin, mainly because my supplies ran out."  
"Could you two please focus. Besides, you're the one who knows where this place is," Jet said, directing the statement to Morgan without turning.  
Morgan smiled. "Yes, I guess it slipped my mind."  
Virginia ignored the conversation. She was more concerned about Todd than that demon, Haruko. "First he tells Clive about a strange dream, and then he passes out." She glanced at Jet. "But then, how could he have heard Haruko when we didn't?" she thought.  
The clouds started to darken, hinting another shower of rain. Virginia sneezed, and Gallows started to shiver.  
Jet looked around. "It's getting colder. Must be the weather," he thought aloud. Morgan nodded. "Yes, these strange weather occurrences are rather random. However, it seems they occur at the worst possible moments."  
The four reached a large crevasse in the ground. Morgan got off of his horse and walked forward. "The ruin is down there. We must climb down," he said to everyone else as they walked towards him.  
As the group climbed downwards, the crevasse seemed to become more like a canyon. The faint sound of rushing water traveled to the ears of Gallows and Jet.  
After what seemed an hour, Morgan landed on a small ridge. "The ruin is just across from here," he called out as the other three landed beside him.  
Jet snorted. "That passageway's the ruin?" Morgan nodded. "Yes, the ruin was constructed deep in to the canyon."  
"How do we get across?" Virginia asked. Morgan reached into his pocket and took out a vile of Panekiea. "This is the fluid which causes the bridge to appear. Without this, the ruin is inaccessible."  
He kneeled down and allowed a small drop of the Panekiea to fall onto the edge of the ridge. Suddenly, a concrete bridge appeared. Morgan turned to the others. "Let's not waste too much time."  
The group crossed the bridge and proceeded down the flight of stairs. The ruin was located deep inside the canyon. The flight of stairs continued downward until it reached a small chamber.  
Morgan turned to everyone. "I only traveled through the next four rooms. I didn't investigate the sides. I suggest we split up in teams of two and go through the rooms on the left and right."  
Virginia nodded. "That sounds like a good plan. Do we all agree?"  
Jet and Gallows nodded.  
Gallows decided to go with Morgan, leaving Virginia with Jet.  
Jet turned away. "Come on. I don't want to stay here too long."  
Virginia nodded and followed him through the door on the left.  
Todd rode up to the crevasse. He stopped right before the other horses. "They stopped here, but where did they go?" he thought as he looked down into the canyon. He caught sight of the bridge and began to climb down.  
Gallows and Morgan entered a strange room. A huge concrete wall separated them from the door. "How do we get passed it?" Gallows asked as he touched it. Morgan walked up to it. "I don't know. We don't have access to anything that can break it down."  
Suddenly, a huge tremor rocked the ruin, causing a heap of rubble to fall upon the entrance of the room.  
Gallows grasped his head. "No way. We're stuck down here!"  
Morgan gritted his teeth. "I can't think of a way to get out, unless..."  
Jet and Virginia felt the tremor as they proceeded down another flight of stairs. "What the Hell was that?!" Jet exclaimed as he looked back. "Right when it happened, I had this overwhelming sensation. It was the exactly same cold feeling I got when I was at the tower," Virginia murmured as she fell to her knees.  
Jet looked up as the ceiling shook from another quake. This one was much larger, rocking the canyon.  
Virginia did not seem to move as the rubble from the ceiling fell. Jet gritted his teeth and ran to her. "Move out of the way!" he yelled as he grabbed her arm and began running, trying to avoid the ceiling as it came crashing down.  
He ran into the next room, only to see the destruction continue, forcing him to continue running through the next room.  
The rubble finally stopped, barricading Jet and Virginia into the next room.  
Jet let go of Virginia and looked around. On the sides of the walls were scenes of the ocean. Jet could almost feel the breeze and the mist.  
He looked up to see a clear sky, a few clouds drifting lazily.  
"It's an interesting illusion, isn't it, Mr. Enduro?"  
Jet looked down to see black coated figure standing before a large shining object. "You, how did you get here?"  
Haruko turned. "Mr. Enduro, I am demon. I got here the exact same way you did, but with a few differences. But still, I presume we're both here for the same thing."  
Jet took out his ARMs. "Yes, I guess we are." 


	12. Chapter Eleven

(I'm typing this earlier then I was going to. I must be bored.)  
  
The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Eleven  
  
Jet stood still. He gripped his ARMs tightly. In a sense, he was afraid of the demon that stood before him. He was almost killed last time they met, and he was not sure whether he would make this time. Besides, the girl kneeling down behind him had saved him. If she could not fight, he would be forced to fight alone.  
"What're you doing here?" Jet asked calmly. Haruko smiled. "I presume we're both here for the same reason."  
Jet winced. "Why do you want that gem?" Haruko closed his eyes. "Now Mr. Enduro, haven't we been through this? Why spoil the fun?"  
Jet gritted his teeth. "Sorry, I don't have time for your games right now."  
He fired his ARMs. Haruko simply held out his hand. The bullets stopped before they even hit him. Haruko waved his hand downward, the bullets falling to the ground.  
"You're going to have to try much harder than that Mr. Enduro," Haruko stated as he placed both of his hands in his coat pockets.  
Jet looked back at Virginia. "If he can stop my bullets, what chance is there?" he thought.  
"I hope Ginny's okay," Gallows mumbled as he leaned against the wall. Morgan touched the opposite wall. "If my theory's correct, we should be able to break through this wall." He turned to Gallows. "Shield your eyes. It's going to be very bright."  
Morgan took out the shard of the gem and held it in his hand tightly. Gallows watched as Morgan seemed to be concentrating very hard. Suddenly, a bright flash of light occurred as the gem began to transform into a sword. Soon, the light faded, leaving the gleaming sword in Morgan'' hand.  
Gallows looked in shock. "How'd that gem turn into a sword?" Morgan looked at the blade. "My theory was correct. The gem can take the form of whatever the wielder wants it to."  
Morgan looked up. "Yet, it's the only object we have to destroy this wall," he announced as he held the sword in both hands and swung it. The sword cut a clean slash through the wall, allowing it to fall to the floor.  
Morgan looked at Gallows. "Come on. I don't know whether or not there will be more tremors."  
Gallows nodded and followed Morgan as they ran through the open door.  
Todd landed on the ridge and began to walk across the bridge. The bridge seemed crack, as if a quake had occurred just recently. The entrance seemed fine, with only a few cracks and rocks.  
Todd ducked and went into the ruin.  
Haruko held the gem shard in his hand. "You know Mr. Enduro, I had no idea you would come for this. However, now that I know, I have a very clear idea of why you want it. I have to say though, I doubt it would actually work."  
Jet reloaded his ARMs. "It doesn't matter what you say. We're still getting the gem."  
Haruko chuckled. "Oh really, then catch." Haruko threw the shard to Jet, who snatched it.  
Haruko smirked. "I'm quite curious. Use it. Use it to kill me."  
Jet looked at the shard. "Use it? This is about the size of the one Morgan had, and he said it wasn't large enough to capture all of his energy," Jet thought.  
"Hurry Mr. Enduro. I'm on a small schedule. I have something dire I need to fulfill in two day's time. So, let's not waste it."  
Haruko held his hand and fired a black sphere of energy at Jet. Jet barely had any time to react, holding the gem in front of him to block.  
The moment the blast collided, Jet felt like he was holding back a train. The force of the blast was huge, but gradually, the gem seemed to absorb it. After a few moments, the gem had absorbed the energy.  
Suddenly, the gem glowed brightly. It began to change, taking the form of a semi- large gun. However, it seemed more like a miniature cannon.  
The weapon was entirely silver. It suddenly connected to Jet's ARMs, forming some type of blaster.  
Haruko seemed to be in thought. "I don't recall the gems ever merging with a normal weapon. What could this mean?" Haruko thought as he watched, studying the weapon.  
Jet looked at it and found that it did not weigh more than a feather. He could easily throw it in the air and catch it.  
Besides this, however, Jet felt a massive amount of energy surging through the blaster. He could almost feel it vibrating slightly, emanating a small hum.  
Jet held it with ease in his right hand. He aimed at Haruko and prepared to pull the trigger.  
Haruko smiled. "Go ahead Mr. Enduro. I just realized I'll be better off if I study your new toy."  
Jet squinted and fired. A huge energy surge flew through the blaster as a huge burst sailed right at Haruko. The blast was amazingly fast, hitting Haruko the moment it was unleashed.  
Jet watched in amazement as a large explosion occurred, slightly rocking the ruin.  
"In one shot. I might just be able to survive this," he though as he held it with both hands and aimed it at the figure walking from the smoke.  
Haruko dusted himself off with one hand. "Very intriguing. However, let's see how you handle this one!" Haruko fired another blast of energy, however, this one was much larger than the previous. It shot at Jet, giving him only enough time to hold the blaster in front of him.  
Suddenly, the blaster quickly morphed into a large glass shield, deflecting the blast right back at Haruko, who fired another blast to cancel it out. A huge flash occurred, blinding both of them.  
Virginia slowly leaned against the wall. "I think... I can handle that horrible feeling. But why does it affect me so much?" Virginia thought as she shielded her eyes from the flash.  
Jet brought the blaster down, only to see Haruko had disappeared.  
"Jet," Virginia murmured, "where'd he go?" she asked as he turned to her. "Don't know," he replied.  
He glanced around quickly. "Are you all right?" he asked. Virginia nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm fine."  
Suddenly, another tremor occurred. Jet quickly glanced, only to see a huge pillar of black energy head straight for him. He grabbed Virginia's arm and ran to the side, avoiding the attack.  
"Please Mr. Enduro, can't you do better?" Jet looked around, only to see a large mass of black ooze form right in front of him.  
Jet readied the blaster, however, he was too slow, allowing Haruko to place his hand straight in front of his face.  
"The girl can't save you this time," Haruko whispered as the sphere began to form in front of Jet's face.  
Jet gritted his teeth. "No, but it's not like I'm going to allow you to try."  
He pulled the trigger, releasing the blast as hit Haruko with only a foot of difference between them both.  
The blast hit Haruko, shoving him into the far wall. The wall exploded, crashing down on the demon.  
Jet breathed heavily. The blaster was powerful, but every time he fired it, it took a chunk of his energy.  
Suddenly, the wall on the left came down. Jet and Virginia turned their heads to see Morgan and Gallows enter the room.  
Morgan looked around. "What happened here?!" Jet glanced at the crumbled wall. "I was busy."  
Gallows looked at the wall as well. "Wait, he's not here, is he?"  
Jet nodded.  
Suddenly, the rubble flew off as Haruko stepped out. He looked around. "Interesting. So, it seems reinforcement have come. But it doesn't matter. You all will die!" he exclaimed as he held out both of his hands.  
Suddenly, a gunshot was heard, hitting Haruko on the shoulder. "What now?" he asked, seemingly annoyed.  
Todd stepped down from the crumbled staircase as he reloaded Clive's rifle.  
He glanced around noticing everyone. He then stopped on Morgan. Todd felt his eyes begin to flutter. A huge sensation overwhelmed him. "What, what is this? Why am I getting tired all of a sudden?" he thought as he began to stumble.  
A small black aura surrounded him, as he fell to his knees. Unimaginable pin seeped through his body. He felt a jolt run up his spine as his muscles felt like they were popping.  
As everyone watched in amazement, Morgan looked in shock.  
"They couldn't have gone through with it. It was a failure! Why, why did they push it?" he thought as he saw Todd look up for a second, one second, and stared at him.  
Morgan glanced downward as Todd screamed in pain.  
Jet backed away as Todd began to transform. A strange black armor bursted through his skin, covering his entire body. Two horns sprouted from the top as two burning red eyes opened.  
Finally, a huge flash occurred, leaving everyone to stare at the strange being standing before them.  
Todd could not see. He was awake in a pool of infinite darkness. He could not move. He was drifting deeper, deeper into the murky waters.  
He could not control his body. His mind seemed to be the only thing left. But he was pushed aside. Something much stronger had taken control, leaving him to drift into the darkness.  
  
(Yes, next chapter will have more action.) 


	13. Chapter Twelve Part One

The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Twelve; Part One  
  
The walls of the ruin began to tremble violently. None of the room's inhabitants took their eyes off of the hulking mass kneeling down on the floor.  
Morgan was in shock. He did not want to witness what was happening, however, he had no other choice.  
While Morgan seemed to know the situation, the other three Drifters had no idea. The demon slowly regained his energy. He, like the other three, had no idea of what was happening. However, Haruko seemed amused. He took advantage of the situation and relaxed. Whatever became of the situation, he had to be completely prepared.  
The entity slowly stood up. It was clearly two times larger than Jet and Virginia. It was suited in black armor, golden lines placed in small cracks. The horns began to grow longer, while the armor manipulated, stretching out. However, what truly frightened Virginia and the others the most was that the entity used to be Todd McCleney.  
"Something the matter?" Gallows asked Morgan quickly. Morgan only glanced at him. "It wasn't supposed to happen. The entire experiment was a failure. I mean, it was a total failure. But, they didn't care. They continued with it."  
"What was a failure?" Jet asked, listening in.  
Morgan sighed. "The Ovius Chip."  
"Ovius Chip?" Jet replied. Morgan nodded. "Yes, the Ovius Chip, it was meant to advance human evolution."  
"You mean, advance human status?"  
"In a way," Morgan replied. "It was somewhat meant to create a better human. It was a test, only a test. The boy had no past we could trace. Seeing him as a suitable test subject, we implanted the chip in him."  
"We? Who's we?" Gallows asked. "It was a group of scientists. I was part of it at the time. I remember that the test was a failure. After I had seen what affects the chip had on a person, I was completely disgusted, so much that I dropped out from the project. I was sure the others would have enough common sense to stop, but it seems they didn't."  
"So, that chip forces the person to transform into this thing?" Virginia asked, leaning against the wall. Morgan nodded. "It needs a host. The Ovius Chip is a living, breathing organism. The only way it can survive is by depending on a host."  
Morgan stopped for a moment, noticing the transformation was almost complete. "So Todd is that host?" Virginia asked.  
"Yes," Morgan answered. He turned his head to look at the others. "I also remember there was another experiment in the facility. I surely hope it was nothing like this."  
Jet glanced at the entity. "So, this would be called Ovius?" Morgan nodded.  
Gallows frowned. "But, we can't shoot him. That's Todd's body. If we shoot it, we'll be hurting Todd."  
Morgan stroked his chin. "Yes, and unfortunately, he is not Todd right now. He is Ovius, it's just that they're both caught in a middle state. The Ovius is disabled, corruptive. It'll attack anyone."  
Jet gritted his teeth. "Hold on. If you knew about this the whole time, why didn't you tell us?" he asked irritated.  
Morgan shook his head. "It's been two years. I forgot what the boy looked like."  
Suddenly, the ruin shook again. Ovius stood straight, cracks appearing in the floor.  
A strange glass substance began to form in front of Morgan and Gallows. "What is that?!" Gallows asked. The glass continued to grow until it sealed the two into the last room.  
Jet stared in astonishment as the glass continued to spread.  
However, the glass stopped spreading. Jet turned to the center of the room. Ovius stood straight, breathing heavily. Haruko seemed amused.  
Virginia began to breathe heavily. "I can't get up. What is wrong with me?!" she thought urgently.  
Jet gritted his teeth. He was practically alone. Morgan and Gallows were sealed in the opposite room, while Virginia did not seem to be able to move.  
A small smile began to spread on Haruko's face. "How very interesting. That boy changed into that Ovius being from what the fools stated. Perhaps this could play into my advantage," he thought.  
Ovius suddenly roared, shaking the ruin. It slowly turned its head, noticing Jet and Haruko. It roared again as it headed straight for Jet.  
Jet froze. Instinct told him to fire the blaster, but common sense told him that if he fire Todd might not survive the contact.  
Ovius smashed his fist into the floor, Jet barely avoiding it. Ovius predicted Jet's movements, already speeding straight for him.  
Jet stopped for one second. The speed of the being mesmerized him. He stood still for one second.  
Ovius quickly sm,ashed him with the back of his right fist. The impact sent Jet crashing into the far wall. The blaster dropped to the floor, the gem separating from Jet's weapon.  
It then turned, facing Haruko.  
Morgan gritted his teeth. "Dammit. If he fights the demon," he mumbled Gallows glanced at him. "What?" Morgan sighed. "He's out of control. Todd could control Ovius, but it's unstable. Its power levels are decreasing and increasing. He could grow exceedingly weak in just one moment."  
Gallows frowned. "There's something more, something you're not saying." Morgan closed his eyes. "Since he's unstable, he could revert back to Todd at any moment. But, he could also stay like that for a massive amount of time."  
Jet could barely hear the conversation between Morgan and Gallows as he slowly sat. He rubbed the blood from his mouth. "If Todd could stay like that, he could weaken Haruko, possibly kill him. But, that's only if everything's goes right."  
Haruko laughed. "Well, perhaps I'll finally get a challenge," he stated as Ovius rushed towards him. 


	14. Chapter Twelve Part Two

The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Twelve; Part Two  
  
The hulking form of Ovius rushed at Haruko. The demon simply smirked.  
Ovius quickly dashed at Haruko, smashing his fist into the wall. The wall exploded, crumbling. Haruko merely side- stepped, avoiding the attack as Ovius crashed into the wall.  
"You missed," Haruko stated, his hands in his coat pockets.  
Immediately after he said that, Ovius stepped back and struck out his arm. The arm began to morph into a semi- large gun.  
Haruko barely opened his mouth an inch before the plasma bean hit him, forcing him into the corresponding wall.  
The moment Haruko hit the wall he stopped and held out his hands. He began to fire bursts of black energy, each hitting Ovius, who began to deflect the bursts.  
Ovius deflected two more blasts before speeding towards Haruko and smashing his fist into his gut. Ovius then smashed Haruko into the floor, and began to run in the opposite direction, smashing Haruko against the floor.  
Ovius then stopped in the center of the room and brought his fist from Haruko. He then pushed it back down and fired a burst of energy, sending Haruko into the wall.  
Jet and Gallows both watched in astonishment. The opponent who they stood no chance against before was being defeated. This fact frightened them more then comforting them. However, Morgan seemed more worried. "Ovius relies on energy as do demons. If he wastes it all, and the demon recovers, the battle could very easily end," he thought.  
The pile of rubble began to rise, allowing Haruko to step out. "I must admit, I underestimated you at first, but not anymore. The warm- up session is over," he announced as he held out his hands.  
Ovius clenched his fists and rushed at Haruko once more. Haruko smirked and unleashed a flash of light, which blinded everyone in the room for a moment. He used the time to quickly kick off of Ovius's chest and blast him straight in the face.  
The impact of the blast sent Ovius screeching backwards. Ovius roared and unleashed two orbs of electricity at Haruko, who created a black aura around himself. The moment the orbs collided with the aura, they were deflected back at Ovius. They hit him on contact, creating a large explosion, which created a small crater in the room.  
Haruko smirked. "I was hoping for a challenge, but all you've given me are a few cuts and bruises."  
The smoke from the explosion began to clear. Ovius stepped out. "So, I guess you haven't had enough yet," Haruko stated as he created a sphere of black energy.  
Ovius roared as he smashed his fists together and formed a huge hock- wave.  
Haruko smirked as he jumped up and fired the sphere. Ovius blocked it with his hand as Haruko landed right in front of him.  
Everyone watched in astonishment as Haruko forced his fist into Ovius's stomach area.  
The beast roared in pain as Haruko fired another blast, which shot out of Ovius's backside.  
Ovius angrily gripped Haruko's throat and jammed him into the wall.  
Haruko began to laugh. "What? Are you going to kill me? Listen, even if you could, you wouldn't. You want to know why? Because inside you're still that little boy. That boy doesn't have the strength to kill me. Besides, if you killed me, you'd kill yourself."  
"What?" Morgan murmured. Jet gritted his teeth. "Of course. I remember. He used Todd's life force energy to revive himself. But, Todd didn't die. He didn't take all of Todd's life, and I think I understand why," Jet thought.  
Ovius released his grip on Haruko, allowing him to stand on the floor. "Get out of my way," Haruko said as he blasted Ovius to the floor.  
Haruko walked over to the gem shard on the floor beside Jet's gun. He smiled as he picked up he gun and threw it to Jet. "Well Mr. Enduro, I hope we'll meet again."  
Haruko picked up the shard and destroyed the wall, revealing a bridge leading deeper into the canyon. Haruko smiled and waved at everyone before he walked out and followed the bridge.  
Jet slowly stood up, acquiring his ARMs. He tuned to everyone as the glass trapping Morgan and Galows dissipated.  
"I'm going after him. Any of you want to come?" Jet announced. Morgan stepped out from the room. "Sorry, I think I'll go get Clive. Here, you're going to need this shard," he stated as he threw it to Jet, who caught it. "Do you think you can get out of this place without it?" Jet asked as Morgan turned. "I'll be fine. What really matters is that you stop that demon."  
Gallows helped Virginia up. "You okay Ginny?" Virginia nodded. "I'm just fine. I can go with you guys."  
Jet nodded and began to walk out of the ruin. "Wait!"  
All three turned to see Todd stand up. "I want to go too. You're going to need my help."  
Virginia looked at Todd. "Are you sure? Will you be all right?" Todd nodded. "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself just fine," Todd announced as he slowly picked up Clive's rifle.  
"Okay then, let's get going," Jet stated as he began to walk on the bridge, the other Drifters following him.  
  
(Well, that's chapter twelve. I know what's going to happen next, but I'm seriously open to suggestions. If you have one, SHARE IT WITH ME IN YOUR REVIEW OR EMAIL!!!!!!) 


	15. Chapter Thirteen

(I'm in a very happy mood right now! Yay! On a more serious note, I wonder what happened to all the people who used to be reading this story? It's as if they all lost interest. They all only read up to chapter three or two. The only one left is Teefa85. Don't you think it's strange?)  
  
The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Thirteen  
  
The sound of waves crashing echoed throughout the entire underground city. A beautiful sky filled the top of the canyons inside. The rock walls were covered with a silver plating, adding a touch of serenity to the place.  
However, the addings were nothing more than illusions meant to add beauty to the wasted city.  
Haruko slowly walked through the city. "To think this place still existed. I'm astonished. One would believe that underground ocean would have eroded this filth. Yet, what I seek lies hidden here. In this, "city of gods", Haruko thought as he stopped before a large dome. He glanced at the shard of the gem in his left hand. "Yes, I only need this."  
The group of Drifters silently walked across the age- old bridge. Rows of endless waterfalls were placed on the two walls of rock on the left and right of the bridge.  
"I'm getting a weird feeling from this place. It's not a good one," Gallows stated as he followed Virginia on the bridge.  
Jet snorted. "You know Gallows, why don't you shut up until we find Haruko, or is that too hard?" Jet asked. Gallows glared at Jet. "Why don't you shut up yourself punk?!"  
Soon, the two entered a heated argument while Virginia and Todd continued.  
"It's... beautiful," Virginia remarked as they stood at the entrance to the underground city.  
Jet and Gallows walked up beside them. "Maybe," Jet started, "but Haruko is down there, somewhere, and we have to find him."  
The group continued down the bridge until they reached the entrance of the city. "You know, how could a city of this magnitude be built in this place? Who built it?" Todd asked as he looked around. Jet glanced as well. "Well, it looks like it's in bad condition though."  
The Drifters wandered around the city, searching for Haruko.  
"We have no idea where we're going," Jet remarked, catching up to the other three. Gallows glanced around his surroundings. He stopped when he noticed a large dome. "Hey guys, we still haven't checked there."  
Jet and Virginia began to walk towards it, leaving Todd and Gallows to follow.  
"This place is cold. I don't feel any warmth, just sadness. There's a lot of sadness in this place," Virginia stated as they neared the dome. Jet looked up at the high structure. "Maybe, but I'm sure he's in there."  
Virginia suddenly stopped. "Jet, don't move."  
Jet turned to her. "What? Why?"  
Virginia winced. "Just don't!"  
Suddenly a pair of odd machines erupted from the ground. Jet and Virginia readied their weapons and prepared to fight.  
"I can't believe we lost them!" Gallows exclaimed as he speeded to a run. Todd began to run as well. "Yeah, it's as if we got split apart."  
Suddenly, two more machines exploded from a building.  
"Now what?!" Gallows remarked as he shot at one of the machines. It simply jumped out of the way.  
The machines were of a deep red color. Their armor was rusted, showing many years of activity. A shell- shaped cover was placed on the back of each machine. A spiked tail sprouted from the inside of the shell from the back. Segmented legs were attached to the underside of the machines, while guns served as arms.  
Todd readied Clive's rifle. "I'm not sure, but I think these things are part of a defense system or something," he stated as he shot at one of them. The machines moved quickly, able to avoid most of the attacks.  
Jet ran behind one of the buildings, avoiding repetitive shots from one of the machines. He quickly ran to the opposite one, avoiding more fire.  
Virginia circled one, attempting to shoot from the back. The machine quickly jumped out of the way, landing atop the corresponding building. It aimed its right gun at Virginia, a small hatch opening on the top. Suddenly, a missile fired out. Virginia ran in the opposite direction. She ran right next to the second machine. She circled around it, forcing the missile to connect with the other machine. The ensuing explosion destroyed one of the buildings, knocking Virginia to the ground.  
Jet jumped from the smoke and shot at the robot, destroying it.  
Virginia walked from the smoke, ARMs in hand. "Are they gone?" she asked as Jet reloaded. "Don't know."  
Suddenly, a few gunshots were heard, as three more machines slid from behind two buildings behind Jet and Virginia.  
Small rocket boosters bursted from the machines' backs as they sped towards the two.  
Jet gritted his teeth. "Come on!" he yelled as he began to run. Virginia quickly followed.  
Todd and Gallows shot down the two Machines. "Do you think Mr. Jet and Miss Virginia were attacked by these things?" Todd asked as he reloaded. Gallows glanced around. "Probably. But even if they weren't, we better hurry." Odd nodded and began to run.  
Jet turned and fired a few bullets, dismantling one of the robots. The other two began to fire when a sudden burst of black light appeared. A few seconds afterward the machines exploded.  
"You should be more careful Mr. Enduro. Do remember you have a lady with you."  
Jet and Virginia turned to see Haruko standing on the steps to the entrance of the dome.  
Jet aimed at Haruko. "Thanks, but I don't need advice from a demon."  
Haruko smiled. "Understandable," Haruko replied.  
Virginia placed her pistols away. "Why are you here, Haruko?" she asked, staring directly at him.  
"I have business, Miss Maxwell, business."  
Jet winced, as Haruko held the gem shard up. "You know, the war between humans and demons was equally fair. The humans had their gems, which rendered demons defenseless, while the demons held magnificent powers."  
Haruko dropped his smile. "But the demons had a greater force. Two great beasts, each with amazingly destructive power. The first one was named Saiin, The Dragon of Fire, and the second, was Ijune, serpent of ice and water."  
Haruko glanced at the shard. "But as all demons, they could be defeated by this gem. The humans locked Ijune away in a frozen temple to the north, however, Saiin was much more destructive, forcing the humans to seal him in one of their "holy cities".  
Haruko began to laugh. "Yes, but this single shard isn't enough."  
Haruko held up his right hand, causing a large explosion of black energy to erupt.  
"What's that?!" Todd exclaimed as he stopped to stare at the explosion. Gallows gritted his teeth. "Great, we're too late."  
Jet shielded his eyes from the massive flash. A few minutes later, the energy dissipated, leaving a few buildings eradicated.  
Haruko smirked. "Yes, now that I have both shards, I can unleash the might of Saiin upon the world once more!"  
Haruko held both shards together. They started to merge together. The light faded, leaving a larger shard.  
Haruko smiled as he walked to the entrance of the dome. A small hollow was carved out of the front of the dome.  
"Foolish humans. Their own actions will be their undoing," Haruko stated as he placed the gem shard in the hollow.  
It started to glow immensely, the cavern began shake violently.  
Morgan reached Clive's home. He entered, to see Clive looking over some papers.  
Morgan walked over to his friend. "Anything of interest?"  
Clive looked up at Morgan. "Yes. From what is in your documents, I've gathered that the demons hold great power. They created physical manifestations of these powers in the form of two beasts, one of fire, and one of water."  
Morgan squinted. "Are you sure? I didn't stumble upon that."  
Suddenly, a huge tremor occurred. It shook violently as Clive and Morgan ran outside. An immensely large crack was appearing in the ground as it started to fall through.  
The huge light ceased to fade as Jet and Virginia stared into it.  
Haruko laughed. "Yes, the world shall soon feel the wrath Saiin once more!"  
  
(I just realized this chapter was longer than normal. Anyway, I'm still open to suggestions. If you have any, I would appreciate them.) 


	16. Chapter Fourteen

The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Fourteen  
  
The entire canyon shook again. It seemed as if the whole area was trembling in fear of the beast.  
The light burned intensely, forcing Jet and Virginia to completely cover their eyes.  
"What's going on?" Gallows asked as he and Todd ran to the site. Todd shook his head. "How do you expect me to know?!" he replied.  
The large dome structure began to crack. The moment Haruko noticed this he smiled maliciously.  
"Do you feel the intensity?! Do you?!" he yelled out at the two Drifters.  
Suddenly, Jet heard an immensely loud cracking sound. The few moments after that was when the light burned brightest.  
As soon as the cracking noise stopped, the light faded. Jet opened his eyes slowly. He could barely see. He rubbed his eyes quickly and glanced around.  
A huge hole had been made in the top of the dome. A strange red light was coming from the inside.  
Virginia was kneeling on the ground, seemingly in pain. "So, Mr. Enduro, what do you think?"  
Jet turned to see Haruko standing before a great sphere of red light. Jet winced when he noticed the light taking shape.  
Haruko laughed. "Soon Saiin will be resurrected, and then, my true plans will begin."  
Jet gritted his teeth. "What the Hell are you talking about? I'm getting tired of this! Do you think this is a game?!" Jet shouted. Haruko's smile dropped. "No, Mr. Enduro. I do not think of this as a game, but as a way of revenge."  
"What do you mean by revenge?" Jet asked. Haruko squinted. "You truly wouldn't understand Mr. Enduro. It's something much more personal, something that doesn't involve you."  
Suddenly, a huge roar shook the entire plateau of land. Haruko turned to see the light taking complete shape.  
The dragon was a deep crimson color. Huge wings struck from his back as a huge tail formed. Its underside and wings were jet black. A gaping mouth full of razor- sharp teeth let out another roar.  
Haruko began to laugh. "Yes, he's perfect."  
Haruko swiftly jumped atop Saiin's head and turned. "Now, Saiin, your first objective is to eradicate the two Drifters in front of you!"  
The dragon roared in confirmation as it opened its mouth. Saiin seemed to be gathering energy as its mouth filled with bright yellow light.  
Jet gritted his teeth and glanced at Virginia, who seemed to be frozen in pain.  
Seeing Saiin readying to fire, Jet quickly swooped Virginia up and began to ran in the opposite direction.  
"If he does fire, he could easily kill us in one blow. I'm going to have to change direction," Jet thought.  
He glanced back to see Saiin unleash the huge beam of energy. Jet quickly swerved in between the buildings and continued to run. The beam destroyed everything in its path. Many buildings and structures were completely obliterated.  
Haruko frowned. "Running away? I guess we better take the fun to them," Haruko stated as Saiin flapped his wings and rose up.  
"Shit," Jet thought as he glanced back.  
Todd and Gallows ran up to see Jet running towards them. Jet quickly passed them. "Get going!" he shouted.  
Gallows turned. "Hey, why are we running?" Todd began to run. "Why don't you turn and see for yourself?!" Todd yelled as he began to follow Jet.  
"What are you guys talking about?" Gallows mumbled as he turned and saw Saiin rushing straight at him. Gallows eyes widened. "See what you mean!"  
The group continued to run as Saiin bursted through the city, completely destroying it. "It's such a shame it's being destroyed. All that hard work..." Virginia murmured as she stared at the carnage.  
The canon began to crumble as well as boulders and dirt began to collapse on the city.  
"The whole place is coming down!" Gallows exclaimed as the bridge began to collapse as well.  
Todd gritted his teeth. "We have to hurry!" The group barely entered the ruin as the bridge crumbled and the entrance fell apart.  
Jet let Virginia down. "Are you all right?" he asked as she began to stand up. Virginia nodded. "Yeah... I'm fine."  
"Um, guys, I think we better get going. He can bust in here and we can't," Gallows stated. Jet nodded. "Yeah, let's go."  
The group began to run into the next room as Saiin bursted through the ruin.  
The group continued to run through the ruin until they reached the exit. "It collapsed. We're stuck," Todd stated as the ruin shook.  
Gallows gritted his teeth. "I don't believe this! We're going to be killed by some stupid dragon!"  
Suddenly, Saiin crashed through the room. "Move!" Jet cried as the group jumped to the side, allowing Saiin to crash through the entrance.  
"Let's go!" Jet ordered as he jumped out. Virginia and Todd followed. Gallows accidentally tripped and fell out.  
Jet and the others skidded against the rock to land, while Gallows fell.  
He slowly stood up. "The pain..." Gallows mumbled as Jet glanced around.  
Saiin smashed through, hovering in mid- air.  
The entire canyon began to crumble as Haruko blasted all of the rubble out, providing him an exit. He quickly jumped on Saiin and turned.  
"You're all alive, but it doesn't matter. I doubt you fools can stand against the wrath of Saiin, the Dragon of Fire!"  
  
(And so, Jet, Virginia, Gallows, and Todd, must somehow survive against Saiin.) 


	17. Chapter Fifteen

The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Fifteen  
  
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A war is a result of a conflict pushed to its limits. One specific war ravaged the world to the point of destruction. Countless lives were lost, blood was stained and was soaked up by the world, making it a barren, desolate place.  
Unholy beings fought against the ailing species of the world. They killed not for blood, but for the soul, the greatest soul.  
  
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The rushing water of the river created a serene noise. It bothered Jet, as he found it misplaced.  
Haruko smiled. "Now, should I kill all of you in one blow, or should I play with you first?"  
Virginia grasped her head. Why was it that every time she was near Haruko, a horrible pain would swell up inside of her? The pain was magnified by the presence of the dragon.  
Haruko closed his eyes. "Yes, I know. I believe I'll just kill you. Saiin, eliminate them!"  
The huge dragon roared in response and swooped down to the four Drifters.  
Gallows quickly shot at it, the bullets diving into its head. A light purple liquid spurted out as the dragon's attention was diverted to the Baskar.  
Gallows froze as the beast rushed at him. Jet fired at the dragon as it landed and swung its tail at him. The impact of the hit sent Jet crashing into the rock.  
Saiin roared as it once again turned to Gallows, who began to run in the opposite direction. The dragon prepared to use its energy blast, but Todd swiftly ran up its tail and on its back.  
The dragon immediately rose into the air and began to fly around.  
Todd stumbled as he grabbed onto the beast's scales. Saiin fired the energy beam, flying madly. The beam almost grazed Haruko as he stepped back on the canyon.  
Saiin flipped, forcing Todd to slip, barely hanging onto a few scales with one hand. The beast flipped once more and began to slash at Tood with a somewhat talon. Todd flipped back on its back and shot it in the head with Clive's rifle.  
Saiin roared in annoyance as it flipped a final time, causing Todd to fall, who managed to get in one more shot.  
Just as Todd hit the ground, he felt himself fall on a cushion of air. Gallows slowly brought his hands down. The Protect Arcana had worked, lessening Todd's fall.  
Saiin turned and headed for its nearest target, Jet Enduro. Jet gritted his teeth and began to run in the opposite direction. The dragon dived and attempted to bite at him, however, failed as Jet quickly rolled, barely missing the attack.  
Haruko squinted as he watched Saiin chase Jet, as if they were a cat and a mouse. "I doubted Saiin would be able to kill them quickly," Haruko thought, "But, why do I have this feeling. It's been bothering me since the underground city."  
Haruko glanced around until his eyes fell upon Virginia Maxwell. "That girl..."  
Saiin roared loudly as Jet shot at him a few times. "Dammit! None of our normal bullets seem to be affecting him!" Jet thought.  
A few more gunshots were heard as Gallows ran up behind Saiin. Todd rolled behind a boulder as he reloaded the rifle with the last bullets he had taken from Clive's home.  
Saiin smashed his tail around, attempting to hit the Drifters. Gallows jumped backwards and shot a few bullets. Jet ran to the edge of the area and used the Gatling technique.  
Gallows held out his hand. A small sphere of light formed in it. "Everyone, cover your eyes!" Gallows flung the sphere to the ground, creating a tremendously bright flash of light, which blinded Saiin.  
The dragon roared in agony as it smashed aimlessly around the canyon. "Got him!" Gallows exclaimed happily.  
Saiin suddenly stopped and turned to Gallows. Jet gritted his teeth. "It responds to sound! Everyone shut up!" Jet shouted, knowingly acquiring its attention.  
Saiin turned and rammed into the canyon as Jet rolled and ran towards Gallows and Todd, who began to run as well.  
Saiin heard their footsteps and soared after them. Saiin opened his mouth and began to generate large spheres of fire. It began to spew the spheres of fire at the Drifters.  
"Watch out!" Todd yelled as the three ran to one side, avoiding one of the fireballs.  
Suddenly, Jet and the others noticed a sphere of water rush at the fireball. The moment the two collided, the sphere of fire froze into ice, and shattered.  
Virginia stood shakily. "Are you all okay" she asked as they ran towards her. "Just peachy," Jet replied as Gallows and Todd turned to fire at the beast.  
Virginia took a few steps forward. "Stay back! I'll handle this!"  
Virginia closed her eyes and began to concentrate. The pain inside her burned horribly, but she succeeded in gathering enough energy. She swiftly waved her hand, creating tremendous gushes of air to swirl around the dragon. The gushes of air were extremely cold, gradually freezing Saiin.  
In a matter of moments, the great beat was completely frozen. Virginia sighed as she collapsed from exhaustion.  
"Ginny!" Gallows exclaimed as he knelt down beside her.  
Jet and Todd watched as the ice began to crack.  
Jet glanced at the Baskar. "Gallows, do you think you finish this thing off?"  
Gallows stood up. "Of course." Gallows held out both of his hands, a yellow aura surrounding him. The cliff around the canyon began to crack, gradually crumbling. Gallows concentrated harder, causing the canyon to fall apart and crash down on the dragon.  
Gallows quickly helped Virginia up as Todd stared at gigantic heap of rubble. "Do you think it's dead?" he asked as a few boulders fell. Jet winced. "Don't know, but we don't have time. Let's just get out of here."  
Jet glanced around searching for Haruko. It was as if the demon had disappeared.  
Gallows turned to his comrades. "Guys, let's go. We need to get Ginny some help."  
Jet nodded. "I think we should head back to Clive's. From there we can regroup and plan. Besides, there are a few things we need to clear up," he stated, glancing to Todd, who nodded in confirmation.  
The group then began to climb the climb the canyon. --------------  
  
The heap of rubble stirred as Haruko neared it. Saiin roared as he crashed through the boulders.  
Haruko smiled. "Well, Mr. Enduro, you and your comrades have proven difficult to destroy."  
He turned to the lumbering dragon. "Yes, I believe it's time we paid a visit to our dear friends."  
  
(I'm still open to suggestions.) 


	18. Chapter Sixteen

The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Sixteen  
  
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The greatest soul... the soul of the planet, the soul of all life.  
  
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The crimson glow of the sun filled the sky as it began to set. The four Drifters began to grow weary.  
The moon had already risen by the time the group had reached Humphrey's Peak. "Isn't that nice," Gallows remarked as the group stood before a huge crevasse.  
Todd walked up to it and stomped his foot into the ground. "Hey, it seems like the ground here has recently disturbed."  
Gallows stood up. "Well yeah. This crevasse was never here before," he replied as Todd stared downward at the collage or rubble and dirt. "It also seems like a rockslide occurred, strange."  
"Yes, isn't it." The four Drifters turned to see the massive dragon hovering above them. Haruko stood straight on its head.  
"I don't believe this!" Gallows shouted as he gritted his teeth. Todd glanced at Clive's rifle. "I'm completely out of ammunition," he thought as he glanced up at the beast.  
Haruko smiled. "Now, Saiin, finish this!"  
Sain roared and unleashed a wave of fire.  
The group jumped to the side, avoiding the attack.  
Jet and Gallows began to fire at Saiin as it rushed down at them. Haruko swiftly jumped off as the dragon crashed into the ground.  
Gallows pulled the trigger a few times, only to find out he was out of bullets. He was about to reload when Saiin slashed him with his talon, knocking him down the crevasse.  
"Mr.Gallows!" Todd yelled as he jumped down to assist his comrade.  
Jet glanced around. The wave of fire had created a ring of flames around him. He was trapped in the small area, with the dragon.  
"It seems the entrance to the town has been barricaded," Morgan stated as he examined the amount of rock and boulders, which had collapsed at the village. Many homes had been severely damaged, a few people were injured.  
Clive walked up behind him. "Do you remember that tremor that occurred earlier? It sounded far off, but this damage came unexpected. Could it be possible this is the result of the tremor?"  
Morgan stood up and sighed. "It's possible, very possible. But, to cause this much damage, the quake had to have been huge. We probably didn't realize it."  
Morgan gritted his teeth. "I gave them my gem shard..."  
"Something the matter?" Clive asked as Morgan turned. "I have to go check my belongings, is that all right?" Clive nodded, allowing Morgan to jog to his home.  
Jet quickly jumped right, avoiding Saiin's tail. The beast was amazingly fast, and Jet was growing tired. The dragon reacted to Jet's every movement. It seemed to be able to predict Jet's actions.  
Virginia awoke slowly. The pain had eased somewhat, allowing her to stand with minimal effort.  
"Jet..." Virginia murmured as she watched her comrade gradually being beaten.  
Saiin's tail successfully made contact with Jet, knocking him to the floor. He slowly stood up, readying his weapon as the dragon rushed him. He quickly let loose the last of his ammunition, leaving multiple hits on Saiin's hide. However, the beast rammed him to the floor. The dragon roared and clamped his talon over Jet, trapping him.  
Suddenly, two gunshots were heard as blood spurted from the dragon.  
"Mr. Gallows, where are you?!" Todd shouted as he slowly made his way down the rocks.  
"I'm over here!" Todd heard the faint voice of his comrade. He speedily made it down and walked over to his friend.  
Gallows sat in the corner of the area clutching his leg. "Are you all right?" Todd asked, kneeling down beside him.  
Gallows nodded. "Yeah. I was able to use my Arcana to leesen the impact, but I think my leg's broken."  
Todd quickly looked over it. "It looks that way. Darn, how do we get out of here, now?"  
Gallows slowly stood up. "I think I can manipulate the rock, but you're going to have to help," Gallows stated as Todd looked up. "I'll do whatever I can."  
Virginia shot gain as Saiin roared and began to walk towards her. The beast roared once more and fired an energy burst. Virginia quickly ran to the side while shooting.  
Jet slowly stood up. "I don't get it. That girl moans in pain and then just stands up. What the Hell is going on here?" Jet thought as he watched.  
Morgan went through his travel bag. ""I wonder if I still have it? And to think I forgot about in this situation." Morgan suddenly reached into a side pocket and took out a small blue shard. "Yes!" he thought happily.  
Morgan rushed out of Clive's house and ran to the gate. "What did you find?" Clive asked as he ran to his friend.  
"This." Morgan held up the small shard. Clive donned a surprised expression. "It's another sjard. However, didn't you say you only had one?"  
Morgan nodded. "Yes, but I had forgotten about this. Do you notice its faint blue color? It holds no enrgy, unlike the other shards. Like I said before, when the gem touches a demon, it will absorb its energy. However, the energy slowly leaks out. This shard never held any energy, and it is the key."  
"How?" Clive asked. Morgan smiled. "If this were to touch a demon, it would destroy it on contact."  
Virginia jumped to the side, avoiding a swipe from Saiin's talons.  
Jet gritted his teeth. "Guess I'll have to invoke a medium."  
Virginia shot Saiin a few more times, only to run out bullets.  
Virginia watched on in horror as Saiin powered up to unleash another energy wave.  
Suddenly, a huge pressure of air smashed against Saiin's backside, gradually lowering it into the ground.  
Haruko smiled. "Manipulating the power of gravity, how very clever of you Mr. Enduro."  
Jet flung his hand down, causing Saiin to smash into the ground.  
Virginia walked over to the crater as Jet slowly walked over to it as well.  
Suddenly, a huge beam of energy erupted from the ground, causing Jet and Virginia to jump back.  
Saiin followed the beam, roaring in anger as he flew to the sky.  
Haruko watched in amusement. "So, even a beast can feel fear and anger. So, what can you feel Mr. Enduro, what can you feel?"  
The crevasse bursted open as Todd and Gallows stepped from the boulders. Clive and Morgan ran up to them.  
"Is the demon nearby?" Morgan asked quickly. Todd nodded. "Jet and Virginia are fighting his pet."  
Morgan nodded and ran off.  
Morgan ran near the area. "Mr. Enduro, catch!" Jet turned his head to see a small gem shard fly towards him. He caught it with his free hand.  
Morgan smiled. "Insert into one of the bullets and fire it at the demon!"  
Jet nodded and glanced at Virginia. Virginia nodded, hearing Morgan's statement.  
Morgan ran up to them. "Wait! Before you fire it, that gem has no energy. Once it's fired, it'll drain the shooter of his energy, namely, his soul."  
"What do you mean? If you fire this, you lose your soul?" Morgan shook his head. "No, but it'll drain most of the life out of you. It can only be shot once. Twice, and whoever shoots it will die."  
Jet glanced at Virginia. "I'll do it."  
"Jet, you're tired. I can do it," Virginia stated as she took a few steps closer to him.  
Jet shook his head. "No. I don't have much of a purpose here anyway. I guess it's enough of a risk to fire it with another ARMs, but it'll have to do."  
"Fine then, just don't miss," Virginia said, handing over one of her pistols along with a bullet.  
She smiled as she said this, causing Jet to feel slightly pressured. He quickly loaded the pistol with the bullet and looked up.  
"Only get one chance at this. I can't mess up."  
  
(Well, this chapter turned out better than I thought it would. I guess I slightly have Writer's Block.) 


	19. Chapter Seventeen Part One

The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Seventeen; Part One  
  
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Unholy beasts ravaged the planet, searching for its soul, the soul of all life.  
  
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Jet shook a little as he tried to obtain a steady aim on the dragon. "If I miss, it's over, all over," Jet thought as he saw Saiin begin to dash towards him.  
Suddenly, Jet was able to gain a lock on Saiin for one moment. "NOW!" his mind screamed at him as Saiin opened its mouth and began to gather energy.  
Jet winced as he shot the bullet a second after Saiin unleashed his energy wave.  
The moment he pulled the trigger seemed to move extremely slowly. He felt all of his energy leave his body.  
Suddenly, the bullet clashed with the energy, leaving Jet to fall to his knees, dropping Virginia's pistols.  
"Jet!" Virginia exclaimed as she knelt beside him and grabbed his shoulders before he fell completely.  
The bullet penetrated the energy beam, flying straight towards Saiin. The entire time lasted a split second as the bullet crashed against Saiin's throat, bursting through it.  
A moment afterwards, Saiin exploded in a huge flash of blue light.  
The light faded as soon as it appeared, leaving a beaten bullet to fall to the ground. The shard had shattered, leaving many small specs of glass to spill out from the bullet.  
Jet breathed heavily as Virginia slowly helped him up.  
"Jet, are you okay?" Virginia asked urgently as he slowly turned to her. "I'm... fine," he replied weakly.  
Morgan smiled slightly. "In any case, we're fortunate to have had you hit the demon."  
Suddenly, the sound of clapping was heard coming towards them. "I have to admit, I doubted you would use a an empty shard, but you still succeeded in defeating Saiin, as to which, I applaud you," Haruko stated as he neared them.  
He then stopped clapping his hands and placed them n his coat pockets. "However, it seems the shard has shattered, leaving you without any advantage of your own."  
Jet slowly picked up Virginia's pistol and loaded it. "What are you doing?" she whispered as she readied her separate one.  
Jet sighed. "He'll slaughter you if you fight him alone. You're going to need help."  
Haruko grinned. "While you three are talking amongst yourselves, I think I'll do some re- decorating."  
Haruko held out his hands, causing most of the area surrounding the four to begin rising.  
"What are you doing?!" Virginia asked urgently. Haruko met her glare. "Nothing much, Miss Maxwell, just setting up the playing field."  
Suddenly, the chunk of land completely separated from the ground and began to rise into the air quickly.  
"Sorry about that," Haruko started, "I just decided to block out any interruptions."  
Virginia gritted her teeth. "You don't have to do this Jet."  
"I don't have much of a choice," he replied. "Besides, you don't need to look out for me. You're not my mother."  
Haruko smiled. "I can wait if you two want to prepare. I would like to fight you all at full composure."  
Jet glanced around. "I'm starting to regain my strength, I'll be fine," he stated. Virginia frowned and sighed. "I know. I just don't want anyone getting hurt."  
"Do you think that demon relocated them up there?" Todd asked as he looked up. Gallows squinted. "Probably. I guess he found it easier to take on Ginny and the punk. I just hope they'll be all right."  
The streaks of black energy sped along the plateau. There were many of them, causing Jet and Virginia to keep on their toes. Morgan watched from behind a boulder, knowing he would just get in their way.  
Virginia shot a few bullets at the demon. Haruko suddenly disappeared, avoiding the bullets.  
"Now where'd he go?" Virginia asked ass Jet glanced up. "He's above us!" the Drifter exclaimed as Haruko fired an energy burst at his opponents.  
Jet swiftly jumped to the side, avoiding the attack, however, Virginia did not respond as fast and was hit by the shock- wave of the blast. The small explosion left a cloud of smoke rise from the crater.  
"Virginia!" Jet exclaimed as the smoke began to clear.  
Haruko landed behind him, raising his hand. "She's not your main concern Mr. Enduro," he stated as he fired another energy blast. Jet quickly turned and fired a few bullets, as many as he could before the blast collided with him, knocking him to the ground.  
The bullets hit Haruko in the chest, causing him to step back. "Did the shard drain that much energy from you Mr. Enduro, or is this the best you can offer?" Haruko asked as Jet slowly stood up.  
Suddenly, Haruko winced in pain. A small explosion erupted inside of him, causing him to melt.  
Jet glanced back to see Virginia smiling. He let out a small smile as well. "How interesting."  
They both turned to see Haruko regaining his former shape. "Yes, it is interesting. But I think it's time to begin weeding out the garden, don't you think Mr. Enduro? And, I think I'll start with your little girl friend, Miss Maxwell."  
Haruko held out his hand and began to concentrate as gushes of wind began to swirl in his hand. "Yes, it's time to end this foolish game!"  
Haruko then sprung his hand forward, unleashing his shock- wave technique straight at Virginia.  
Virginia froze. The attack flew quickly at Virginia, giving her no time to react.  
Jet gritted his teeth and ran right in front of her, the attack hitting him right before it would have hit Virginia.  
The impact was incredibly powerful, much stronger than Haruko had done atop the temple.  
The attack faded as Jet slowly fell to the ground.  
Haruko's eyes widened as Virginia knelt down beside the fallen Drifter.  
"He... sacrificed himself for the sake of the girl... How very... noble..."  
"Jet... you can't be...." Virginia stammered as tears began to slowly fall from her eyes. The sky turned a bleak gray, a storm on the horizon.  
"Jet..."  
  
(I guess this is sort of like a cliffhanger, right?) 


	20. Chapter Seventeen Part Two

The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Seventeen; Part Two  
  
The clouds darkened as rain began to fall. The rain felt cold against Virginia's skin as she slowly stood up, gathering her weapons.  
Haruko simply stood there. He had not expected Jet to take the impact of the attack, and had used most of his energy to execute the attack. However, since Jet was already weak, he would have gone down easily with a much weaker attack. However, none of that mattered now as Haruko had wasted that energy, as it was enough to kill Virginia completely.  
"You killed Jet. But why did he have to die?" Virginia murmured. "He died, because I was too weak. I should've been the one to die, I should've. But it's too late, and I... am going to kill you. I'm going to make you pay for what you did!"  
Virginia readied each of her pistols and began to shoot recessively at Haruko, quickly reloading when she had to.  
Morgan stepped out from behind the rock and glanced around. He quickly ran over to Jet and knelt beside him. "Something's not right. I swear I saw him slowly breathing."  
Morgan placed his fingers on Jet's neck, searching for a pulse. Morgan's eyes widened slowly.  
"There's a pulse! It's weak though. He's not breathing either, damn! He won't survive much longer!"  
Morgan glanced around, noticing the burnt bullet along with the shattered gem. Morgan then squinted, seeing there was a small blue puddle, which had taken the place of the shard.  
"It liquefied! I doubted that was possible, but... The gems are a source of energy, they carry hundreds of different minerals and nutrients. Perhaps their advanced energy adaptation could save him. I have to try," Morgan thought as he quickly walked over to the puddle. He kneeled down and cupped his hands, gathering a small amount. He rushed over to Jet and slipped it in his mouth.  
A few seconds passed before Jet coughed, spitting some blood out. "I'm going on a risk here. This gem has absorbed the energy of a demon who is able to heal. If the energy can adapt to Mr. Enduro's body, it's possible the qualities of the energy can save him. It's a risk, but it's the option."  
Haruko staggered back as each bullet punctured his body. He was low on energy, allowing to barely heal a small amount of the wounds. Virginia quickly ran her last round of ammunition out as she shot the last bullets.  
Haruko gritted his teeth. "Well Ms. Maxwell, it seems you've ran out of bullets."  
Virginia began to regain her breath as she placed her pistols back in their holsters. "That's it, I'm done for. I don't have anything left."  
Haruko slowly raised his head as the plateau shook. "What was that?" he asked as Morgan helped Jet up. Suddenly, large cracks appeared in the piece of land. The next few moments were silent, until a sudden jolt brought the land back down to the ground.  
The plateau crashed against the ground, knocking Haruko off of his feet. Virginia and Morgan felt a soft cushion of air under them as they landed, allowing them to fall on their feet.  
Todd happily ran over to them. "You're all okay! For a minute there we thought you were goners," Todd exclaimed as he glanced at Jet. "Oh no, what happened to Mr. Jet?!"  
Virginia glanced at him. "He... didn't make it."  
Todd frowned, as did Gallows, mainly on the fact he would lose his debate partner.  
Haruko slowly stood up. "I don't believe this! Pathetic, no, worthless humans have reduced me to this! No, I shall not stand for it! They will all perish for their insolence!"  
A black aura suddenly surrounded Haruko as his eyes turned a bright red. His pupils transferred to a yellow, snake- like shape.  
"My body has yet to fulfill its perfection, but I will unleash my greatest power, mind compression!"  
Morgan gritted his teeth. "What do you mean by that?!" Haruko smiled insanely. "I'm glad you asked. Mind compression allows me to transfer your minds into a deeper consciousness. You will all be separated from your bodies, including me."  
"What good will that do you?!" Morgan asked again, fearing the answer. "My consciousness holds my inner power. I can easily eliminate you all in that state. However, executing mind compression forces me to eliminate my body, but it doesn't matter! I can easily regenerate and grow a new one, allowing me to accomplish my revenge! Now, all of you will suffer!"  
Suddenly, Virginia and the others began to feel light- headed as their vision began to get blurry. After a few moments, Virginia felt this pulsating pain pound in her head. The pain was horrible, as it lasted for two seconds.  
Almost immediately afterwards, the entire group grew unimaginably tired.  
Virginia suddenly began to see hundreds of images, as did her fellow comrades. These images seemed to be memories. Images of Clive, Gallows, Jet, and herself roaming Filgaia flooded her head. Images of the prophets, Malik, Melody, and Leehalt. Janus Cascade, the Huskarls, and hundreds of other people and beings she met while being a Drifter.  
Then recent images began to appear. The argument between Jet and herself, and how she realized she had not matured as much as she wanted to. She wished that had never happened, as she believed she never really got the time to completely apologize. Todd and Morgan appeared as well, so did Gallows and Clive. She shuddered, as Haruko appeared, Ovius as well. And then Saiin appeared. There had been times that a burning pain ignited inside of her whenever she was near Haruko or the dragon. Why that happened, she had no idea.  
Then the memory of Jet dashing in-between her and Haruko's attack appeared. A tear slipped from her eye as she remembered Jet dying, and she could not stop it. "I never thought I would see one of my friends die, is Jet even my friend? It never crossed my mind how he never really talks or how he secludes himself from the world. Why, do I feel sad for him, why? He wouldn't want me to feel sad for him. He didn't die just for me to mope around!" Virginia thought as a specific memory appeared.  
That memory was of her father. She loved her father dearly. He had taught her how to handle an ARMs. She did not remember her mother too well now, as if she was slowly forgetting. But the image of her father struck something inside of her.  
"Daddy, without you, I would never had aspired to help people. Without you, I never would have met Clive or Gallows. Without you, I never would've met Jet and would never had traveled around Filgaia, and seen all those things I've seen."  
Virginia felt her mind slip away as she drifted to sleep. 


	21. Chapter Eighteen Part One

(And yet another multiple chaptered chapter.)  
  
The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Eighteen; Part One  
  
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Gems created of the planet's essence...  
  
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Jet slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times, trying to wake up.  
He slowly sat up, taking in his surroundings. He seemed to be sitting atop a large platform, among many others. The platforms seemed to be hovering slowly in the sky, or so it appeared to be the sky.  
"Where am I?" Jet mumbled as he looked around.  
"Hello Mr. Enduro. I was unsure whether or not your mind would be compressed, but, you are here, and that's all that matters."  
Jet quickly turned around to see Haruko standing on the platform above him. "What do you mean by that?" he shouted.  
Haruko smiled. "It means you're not dead, I'd think you'd be grateful. Well, you're not dead yet, however, your body can die while your mind is compressed. Now that would be horrible for you."  
"Compressed? My mind's compressed?"  
Haruko nodded. "Yes, you see, I've separated your mind from your body and buried it in a deeper conscious."  
Jet snorted. "I see." He reached for his weapon, only to realize it was gone. "Where is it?" Jet asked as he glanced back at Haruko, who smirked.  
"You still have your weapon, you just need to create it."  
"What?" Jet asked once more, annoyed. Haruko held out his arm. "Yes. In compression, our bodies do not exist. You may wonder how we can speak or move. You see these are our minds. If your mind shuts down, your body will transfer into coma, actually, you are all in a coma."  
Jet squinted. "You mean we can do anything here?"  
"Not exactly. You can only do things which are of your physical standards."  
Jet smiled. "Okay then, I guess I understand."  
Haruko smiled. "Good. I'm anxious to get started."  
"Haruko held out his hand and fired a burst of black energy, which Jet avoided by rolling out of the way. Jet quickly stood up and fired his ARMs.  
"How did... Ah, what the Hell," Jet thought as he dodged another blast.  
Haruko jumped from the platform and dashed at Jet, gathering energy. As soon as he appeared straight in front of him, he unleashed the attack. Jet was quick on his feet though, moving aside and shooting the demon full of lead.  
Haruko quickly stopped the bullets before they dealed any real damage. He then jumped up and began to rapidly fire blasts.  
Jet gritted his teeth and hopped down to the platform below him. He quickly jumped from platform to platform, avoiding the blasts.  
Haruko charged some energy and shot a much stronger blast at the Drifter.  
Jet did not have time to react as this attack was much faster than normal.  
He was hit with the shock- wave of the explosion. As Jet stood up, Haruko landed and fired miniature crystal daggers. Each of the daggers hit him, pushing him to the edge of the crumbled platform.  
"Prepare to die Mr. Enduro," Haruko stated as he began to gather energy. However, he stopped as he watched the daggers fall from Jet's skin and the wounds begin to heal.  
"How? It's impossible for a human to recover like that."  
Jet clenched his fist. "Like I said, I'm not completely human."  
The grassy hill was steep as Virginia slid down it. She had been traversing the endless fields for what seemed like hours. "Why does this place seem so familiar?" she wondered as she glanced around.  
Virginia suddenly stopped and ran a short distance. "I don't believe it," she whispered as she reached her destination.  
Before her lay a small house, her former house actually. She spotted a small area behind the house. A small girl seemed to be holding a pistol. She was shaking uncontrollably. A man held her hands, trying to calm her down.  
"Concentrate... on your target," he whispered in the girl's ear. A moment later, she pulled the trigger.  
The bullet hit the bottle, shattering it. The young smiled and turned to the man. "Look Daddy! I did it! I did it!" she exclaimed happily to what seemed to be her father.  
The man smiled slightly in response. Virginia could see s type of determination in his eyes, a determination she thought she held as well.  
Virginia wiped a tear away from her left eye. "I wish everything could go back to the way it used to be. I wish everything could just be okay."  
"Miss Virginia!" Virginia turned around to see Todd and Gallows running towards her. "You guys are okay!" she exclaimed happily as they reached her.  
Odd nodded. "Yeah, we were sort of lost. This place is really confusing."  
Gallows nodded. "Yeah, it was just by luck that we stumbled upon each other and found you here... at least, I hope it was luck."  
Virginia smiled. "It doesn't matter! What matters is that we've found each other. All we have to do now is find Morgan."  
Suddenly, Todd winced. Virginia and Gallows watched in shock as Todd began to split. A large mass was detaching from him. It jerked away, causing him to shout in pain.  
The mass began to take the shape of a heavily armored being. A flash of light occurred, leaving the figure of Ovius behind.  
Gallows's eyes widened. "Aren't you supposed to transform into that?!" Todd nodded slowly. "Yeah, but I just remembered Ovius is a separate being. Its mind must've been compressed too."  
Ovius roared as its right arm expanded into a massive gun.  
Virginia took out her ARMs. "Well, we're not just going to stand here are we? Let's kill this thing now so it doesn't bother us later!" Virginia exclaimed as she aimed at it. "Besides, I'm sure Jet would agree with me one- hundred percent."  
Jet continued to fire his ARMs, jumping aside to shoot Haruko some more. The demon jumped up and recovered from the attack and blasted Jet, who was hit. He quickly flipped up from it and ran to the right.  
The two combatants had fallen from the platforms and onto a barren desert.  
Haruko jumped back and held out both his arms. A massive pillar of black energy erupted from the ground and raced towards the Drifter. Jet held out his hand, creating a sphere of gravity, which collided with the pillar. The two attacks trembled for a few moments, and then dissolved, leaving a large crater in the ground.  
"Not bad Mr. Enduro, not bad at all," Haruko stated as he regained his breath.  
"Thank you, but I'm not done yet," Jet replied, reloading his ARMs. "I'm finishing this now."  
  
(I was going to end this chapter with the Virginia segment, but I decided to leave a little more for you people.) 


	22. Chapter Eighteen Part Two

(Darn, I guess it was a good idea... I'm going to smack myself now... And thank you, for whoever is reading this story.)  
  
The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Eighteen; Part Two  
  
Morgan fought against the increasing winds of the sandstorm as he traveled along the desert. This place was strange; it had no end. This desert was identical to every area Morgan had passed through. Trademarks were scattered about, including a covered up well. He had seen that about five times so far.  
Jet ran behind a boulder for cover as he reloaded. "Why am I always the one with he bad luck?" he thought as he ran from the boulder as it exploded. He quickly rolled behind a cliff.  
Haruko smiled. "Come now Mr. Enduro, you haven't died yet, what are you afraid of? Are you afraid you'll be killed?"  
Haruko's smile dropped. "But wait, you can't experience fear can you, at least, truly understand it."  
Jet tried to clear out his voice. He was not prepared to allow this to bother him in this situation. However, as much as he fought it, he felt an increasing feeling drop in his chest. It was true no matter how much anyone denied it. He was not an original human, but a machine, a machine made of the planet itself. Even then, at that moment, Jet remembered how he somehow recovered from the demon's attack. He knew he could not do that, and he doubted most people could.  
There was a field of flowers placed along the endless plains. It continued with the plains, never stopping.  
Todd could feel one of his ribs smash, however, he also felt his ribs were not there. He could not feel any of his bones as his back collided with the tree. Yet, the pain felt as real as ever.  
The bullets did not seem to affect Ovius at all. They simply deflected of, falling to the ground.  
"There's not much more we can do!" Gallows somewhat yelled out, perhaps of fear. Virginia gritted her teeth. "I don't care if we can't hurt him, do you expect me to just give up?!"  
Ovius roared once again and struck his fist into the ground. A large streak of blue energy sped along the ground, straight for Virginia and Gallows.  
They jumped aside, voiding the attack as it exploded along the mountain wall. Boulders and other assortments of rock flew from the mountain as it crumbled.  
Todd slowly stood up. "I can't... let this happen..."  
Haruko slowly walked over to the heavily breathing Jet. "Are you done yet? I am going to end this right now, so I wouldn't want it to be too painful."  
Jet slowly raised his head to meet Haruko's glare. "I guess, I understand what you mean..."  
Jet quickly flung out his ARMs, using the Gatling. Haruko watched in shock as the flow of bullets crashed against his abdomen, puncturing his skin.  
Jet continued to fire until he ran out of bullets, forcing Haruko to stagger backwards.  
"Sorry, I'm not done yet," Jet stated as the top of his weapon detached, revealing a small barrel. Jet pulled the trigger, shooting a powerful Magnum bullet at Haruko. The bullet punctured his skin. A moment later, a massive shock- wave erupted from the bullet, causing Haruko to fly against the ground, creating a huge crater in which he fell into as the ground gave way.  
Jet placed another Magnum bullet inside of the barrel and locked the hatch. "I'm grateful I got that upgrade, but these Magnums are extremely dangerous. I have to be careful," he thought as he placed his weapon away.  
"Mr. Enduro! I'm lad to see you're well!" Jet turned to the voice to see Morgan waving to him a few yards away. Jet slightly waved back, walking over to the man.  
Ovius fired a small yellow energy ray from his arm. Virginia and Gallows avoided it, escaping the huge explosion it left in its wake.  
The smoke spread out, blocking the two Drifters' vision as they glanced around.  
"I can't see," Virginia thought, "Where could he be?"  
Todd grasped his broken rib and began to speedily walk towards the smoke. "They saved my life, when they didn't have to. I told them I had a debt to repay, so I'm not going to let them die!" Todd thought as he saw the smoke clear, showing Ovius preparing to attack a blind Virginia. "Darn dust! There's tons of it from the explosion!" she mumbled as Todd ran over.  
Ovius's fist expanded as he prepared to kill Virginia. Todd quickly skidded in front of her as the monstrous fist smashed into his stomach, puncturing it.  
Todd gritted his teeth as overwhelming pain seeped through his body, or what seemed like his body. He actually began to cry as he felt sadness enter his body. Why sadness? Suddenly Todd felt a jolt.  
He suddenly remembered all the memories he had forgotten. He remembered the kind old woman he lived with before the entire town was wiped off of the planet, him on the verge of death. He remembered the many people who found him, and then tended to his wounds. But then, he remembered going through grueling pain. Then, the incident occurred. He was the only one left in the city. It had been eradicated, and everyone had died. That was when he began life as a Drifter, in a world where he felt all of his memory disappear.  
Virginia wiped the dust from her eyes, only to see Todd dying before her very eyes. She tried to scream, however, it was caught in her throat.  
Ovius threw Todd aside as he began to fade away. Todd also began to fade away, his eyes slowly closing.  
Virginias fell to her knees as Gallows ran over to her. She wiped a tear from her eye. "Why? Why do so many people die because of me?!" she cried out.  
"I don't understand this "mind compression". I've developed a theory stating that during compression, we're all locked in our own minds or conscious. However, when an entire groups' minds are compressed, our minds are somewhat locked together, enabling us to pass through each one."  
Jet nodded. "Okay. So, Haruko compressed all of our minds so that he could finish us here?" Morgan nodded. "Yes. You being able to fend him off was because he was probably weak on energy. However, he has the advantage here."  
Jet closed his eyes and sighed. "Dammit. I was hoping I wouldn't have to go through this shit again. But, I think you're right. He did seem sort of slow, and his attacks didn't affect me as much as they usually would."  
Morgan nodded as a massive tremor occurred. Jet and Morgan both turned to see a huge pillar of black energy erupt from the ground. It dissipated, revealing Haruko, who was dusting himself off.  
"You two didn't think I was going to let you go so easily, now did you?" 


	23. Chapter Eighteen Part Three

(Hmm.... Sorry for the late chapter, I've just been playing Final Fantasy Eight and have gotten somewhat addicted to it.)  
  
The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Eighteen; Part Three  
  
Haruko took a few steps forward, smiling maliciously as Jet took out his weapon.  
"That attack you pulled off Mr. Enduro, was magnificent, but it fails to have done too much damage."  
Jet gritted his teeth. "Don't worry, I have more." Haruko nodded. "Yes, of course you do. And it's a good thing you have more. You're going to need them."  
Morgan backed away. He felt a sudden drop in temperature. Something was wrong.  
Virginia and Gallows quietly walked through the rocky terrain. It took a few minutes to exit the fields, while it took Virginia what seemed like hours.  
Gallows scratched his head while he glanced around. "Um, Ginny.... Are you sure you're okay?"  
Virginia stopped and rubbed her eyes. "I'm just fine Gallows. Let's just find Morgan, okay?"  
Gallows nodded and continued to follow his comrade.  
Haruko dropped his smile as he held out his right arm. "To tell you the truth, it's been quite a pleasure, but unfortunately, I have to kill you all. Allow me to explain, what you see in front of you is a shell."  
"A shell?" Morgan replied. Haruko nodded. "Yes, a shell. This is not my true state. However, in reality, I was unable to destroy this shell because of my low amount of energy. But here, in compression, I can control it, and break this shell. And that, is exactly what I am going to do."  
Haruko laughed. "Don't be afraid, you should be honored. You are the only people to witness this in ten centuries!"  
Jet glanced at Morgan. "Get back. There's no saying what he'll do next."  
Morgan nodded and backed away further.  
Haruko gritted his teeth as the sky darkened. The sand and gravel began to swirl around madly as funnels erupted from the ground.  
Small black sparks spurted out of Haruko's skin as it began to crack and chip away.  
Jet and Morgan watched in shock and horror as the cracks spread throughout Haruko's entire body. Beams of black light shone through the cracks as Haruko screamed in pain.  
Suddenly, a funnel erupted from beneath him and surrounded the demon as most of his skin exploded, releasing a massive burst of black energy which merged with the funnel, causing it to explode, leaving a huge sphere of energy.  
"What the Hell is that?!" Jet yelled out as Morgan shook his head. "Could it be? Those ancient patterns I was able to decipher... They spoke of a fox demon, the Nine- Tailed Fox..." Morgan muttered as the sphere began to take form.  
Jet glanced at him in somewhat curiosity before turning his head to face the entity. The form was unmistakable. It was huge, approximately the size of the dragon, Saiin.  
The beast stood on all fours, white fur covering its entire body. Nine huge tails sprouted from the tail end of the demon while blood red eyes focused on the two.  
A moment later, a silent voice drifted through Jet and Morgan's heads. They could hear the voice clearly, however, the one saying them was not moving its mouth or performing any body gestures.  
"Well, what do you two think? This will be the last thing you see. I am Haruko, the Nine- Tails Fox Demon."  
Jet loaded his ARMs. "A fox? How nice," he stated as he aimed at Haruko. Haruko laughed. "You are just as humorous as ever, Mr. Enduro. But humor won't save you. Not from me, or anything else!"  
Haruko dashed at Jet, preparing to strike with his massive paw. Jet quickly rolled to the left, dodging the blow. However, Haruko swatted at Jet with one of his left tails, smashing him across the ground.  
Jet slowly stood up, rubbing his sore section. "Okay. Maybe I underestimated you." 


	24. Chapter Eighteen Part Four

(This is the final part of Chapter Eighteen. You might be slightly disappointed with what happens in this chapter. If so, I'm sorry, but thank you for reading this far.)  
  
The Demon Lord, Haruko-Chapter Eighteen; Part Four  
  
The wind howled as the skies darkened. Rain began to fall hard as the sand and dirt floated throughout the area.  
Morgan Cascade gripped the hidden pistol in his coat. If this was the true state of the demon, chances of them surviving were slim.  
Jet held his weapon high as Haruko rushed at him. His speed was incredible, faster than most things he had been forced to contend with.  
The Drifter gritted his teeth as he began to shoot at the demon, who quickly vanished. Jet quickly turned around, only to see Haruko jump and slash him with his left claw, the impact knocking him across the ground.  
The gun flew away from him, landing near a boulder.  
"Is this the true extent of your abilities, Mr. Enduro?!" Haruko dashed at him, preparing to finish the Drifter. However, a bullet soared through the air, colliding with his left shoulder.  
The fox demon turned to see Morgan reloading the ARMs.  
"I'm not going to allow you to take his life," Morgan stated as he prepared to fire again. "Unfortunately, you have just agreed to die!" Haruko exclaimed as the thoughts burned into Jet and Morgan's heads.  
Jet quickly sprinted to recover his weapon as Morgan shot once more, stopping Haruko's run.  
Jet rolled and grabbed his weapon, firing at the demon as he was stopped by Morgan's bullet. The bullets hit Haruko, dark purple blood spurting out. The demon growled and roared, a strange invisible aura surrounding it.  
He growled once more, forcing the aura to unleash itself, causing a massive flow of air to hit the entire area. This knocked Jet and Morgan a few yards, giving Haruko enough time to deal a finishing attack.  
However, Jet was able to stand just at the moment Haruko reached them, allowing him to dodge the demon's tail swap. However, Haruko quickly countered and smashed Jet down, doing the same with Morgan as he stood up.  
Jet slowly stood up as the demon prepared to kill Morgan. "If I use a Magnum bullet now, it could kill Morgan. Dammit!" he thought.  
Morgan grasped his pistol and was able to shoot Haruko's left eye, leaving him with only two bullets left.  
The demon cried in pain as Jet leaped onto one of his left tails.  
Haruko reacted quickly, swatting at Jet with his separate tails.  
The Drifter succeeded in avoiding the first strike, allowing him to jump off and grab the other as the second tail struck.  
Jet quickly used the tail to swing up onto the demon. He readied his ARMs, preparing to shoot, however, the fur before him began to grow. Suddenly, it flew at him, tying him to Haruko.  
Morgan noticed this and began to reload his pistol, only to se struck by Haruko's left nails. The attack left large claw marks, which bled intensely as the demon prepared, once more, to kill the man.  
However, ignoring the pain, Morgan was able to shoot the area beside Jet, freeing him from the thick fur.  
The Drifter landed hard, slowly standing as Morgan was struck again.  
Jet grimaced as he shot Haruko, attracting his attention. The fox's eyes widened as his tails began to rotate. "The game is over now, Mr. Enduro!" the demon shouted, as four flames erupted on the tip of the four center tails.  
"The Four Tails of the Flame!" Haruko yelled as the four bursts of flame flew towards Jet, who ran in the opposite direction.  
The first burst hit a few feet away from him, creating a large explosion of fire. The heat made him weak, allowing the second burst to hit its target head on.  
Jet flew a few yards and continued to roll. He slowly stood up, coughing from the smoke. "Dammit! Nothing's working! Maybe if I use a Medium..." This thought floated through Jet's mind as the four flames re- ignited as Haruko sat, awaiting his opponent.  
"Like I said Mr. Enduro, this game is over. If you cannot survive, then I must kill you off. In reality, you should be dead, but for some reason you are not. And besides that, you seem to be able heal at certain times, of course, it doesn't seem you can control that power."  
Jet gripped his ARMs. "I can't use a Magnum yet. I have to see if the Arcana works."  
"The Four Tails of the Flame!" Haruko shouted once more, causing the four burst of fire to speed towards Jet, who held out his hand. Suddenly, a huge gust of wind passed by, blowing the bursts of fire back at Haruko, who was hit by each one.  
The collision of the four bursts created a large explosion of fire.  
"Perhaps, this is it?" Morgan muttered as the fire spread.  
Todd opened his eyes quickly, moving them around. He saw stars, stars in the sky.  
He slowly sat up, noticing different things. Before him lay the bodies of Virginia, Gallows, Jet, and Morgan, but were they alive?  
Todd walked over to each of them, testing for a pulse as well as seeing if they were breathing. Their breathing was normal, as well as the pulse, they just seemed asleep.  
Todd rubbed his eyes. "Where am I? The last thing I remember was being hit by Ovius, and the excruciating pain the moment after, but he was nowhere near this place.  
He glanced around, noticing a large pile of rubble near the area. Todd touched his face as he walked to the rubble, feeling it as well. Suddenly, the memory jolted inside of him.  
"That demon, he initiated something called Mind Compression. That separated our minds from our bodies, but then where am I? Am I back, in my body? But I died! I shouldn't be alive, or back in my body."  
Todd thought for a moment, realizing something. He then ran off in the direction of Humphrey's Peak.  
"Where in the world did this sandstorm come from?!" Virginia shouted as Gallows and herself wandered through the clouds of dust. "How am I supposed to know?!" Gallows shouted back.  
"You're a Baskar! Aren't you supposed to be in touch with nature?!"  
"First of all, no! Second, we're not in the real world!"  
This statement struck Virginia for some reason. She had completely forgotten they were in Mind Compression and not in reality. "Of course we're not in reality. I saw my father, and me! But, my father... My father!" Virginia thought as the stinging pain returned.  
She fell to her knees. Why was thinking of her father hurting her? "This is the same pain I get when I'm near Haruko. Why is it the same?"  
Jet gritted his teeth as Haruko sat unscathed. "Thank you once again Mr. Enduro. I was able to re- absorb my energy. You've contributed to your defeat!"  
"I'm not going to die this way!" Jet yelled as he unleashed repetitive bullets. "You don't have much of a choice!" Haruko replied as he ran towards the Drifter.  
The bullets simply deflected off of Haruko. Jet smiled slightly as the top hatch detached as Haruko neared. The fox demon's eyes widened as he saw the barrel unleash the bullet.  
Time seemed to slow as the bullet collided with Haruko as a massive flash of light occurred, blinding Jet and Morgan. Jet quickly moved his arm to see a gaping hole in the demon's left side. The blue sphere of light became smaller as Jet noticed Haruko was slowly deteriorating.  
"That was why I was supposed to be careful with it."  
Jet glanced around. "Morgan, you okay?!"  
"I'm just fine!" Morgan yelled back.  
Jet nodded, but was hit by one of the demon's tails. He stood up, amazed that the demon could still move.  
"You can still move?!" Haruko laughed. "Yes. While my energy is slowly draining, the energy of your bullet is supplying me with more than enough to kill all of you and exit compression. At least then I can slowly regenerate my body and execute my revenge!"  
Jet wiped some blood from his lip. "Sorry, but I'm ending this!"  
He began to shoot at Haruko, causing damage to the weakened demon.  
Morgan watched as his blood slowly leaked out. "We're not even in our bodies, but it's as if we're in them. I can feel myself dying. I never thought I would die in such a pathetic place. Why?"  
Haruko continued top swat at Jet with his remaining tails. The Drifter was able to dodge most, but was hit by the last two and was knocked to the floor.  
Morgan winced as Haruko swiped at Jet, who rolled out of the way. "Am I dying here because I've done my purpose? What is purpose? Does everyone die when they've completed their purpose, their reason?"  
The lighting struck Haruko hard as he almost fell over. Jet backed away. He was running out of options very quickly. "I can't use my last Magnum. If I do, they'll be gone, and he might not be dead."  
Morgan began to run towards the area. "Mr. Enduro! Use your other bullet! I'm sure you have one! Use it!"  
"What are you doing?! If I fire the Magnum you'll die! You're too close!"  
"It doesn't matter! I've lived out my purpose, you haven't! You have to get out of here! If he dies you'll be able to escape, and that's what most important!"  
Morgan's statement struck something within the Drifter. "I have a purpose? But, I'm a machine, I was created for something. What does he mean? I'm meant for something else?"  
"Do it Mr. Enduro! I'm going to die anyway! Why don't we just do this."  
Tears fell from Morgan's eyes as he said this. "This is the way it is. I know what my purpose was. I've done everything I've wanted to in my life. There's nothing left for me here," he thought as Jet nodded.  
"Okay, I'll do it," Jet stated as he held his weapon and aimed once again at the demon. "Burn," Jet said as he shot the bullet. It collided with Haruko's chest, causing a massive explosion of light and dark.  
"Go, now!" Morgan shouted as he was enveloped in the light.  
Jet felt himself drifting away. He felt himself leaving, but he was not.  
The light spread across the entire area, everything disappearing.  
Jet felt light- headed as he slowly drifted to sleep. "Maybe... I do have a purpose."  
  
(I'm hoping to get the next chapter in over the next few days. Don't leave yet!) 


	25. Chapter Nineteen

The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Nineteen  
  
----------------------  
  
The creatures' rampage left the beings with only one possible answer  
  
----------------------  
  
The sun rose, shining upon the world. The past night had been etched into Virginia's mind.  
However, a stronger thought floated on her conscious. It was of her father. That same night, Virginia had a dream, a dream she had trouble remembering.  
"I see. From what you've both explained, the demon was killed, but you both have no idea how you survived?"  
Todd nodded. "I remember being impaled by Ovius, I remember dying. So, how am I alive?"  
Jet leaned against the wall, listening to the entire conversation. "We could've asked Morgan, but he's gone."  
Clive nodded. "Yes. He most likely could've helped in this."  
Jet rubbed his forehead slowly. "I have to get some air. See ya."  
Clive nodded as his comrade walked out of the house.  
Virginia awoke slowly, taking in the many thoughts her mind was compressing very slowly. Her head felt heavy, throbbing.  
She slowly sat up, glancing around.  
"Open wide, this will be good for you," Catherine stated as she and Kaitlin attempted to help Gallows eat. He said he could not move his right arm, which was very unbelievable.  
Virginia slightly smiled at this, as if it were a sign of happiness. She stood up and walked to the living room, amazed at what she saw. Todd was alive! She was sure she saw him die.  
"Todd... you're alive."  
Todd nodded. "Hello Miss Virginia. Yeah, it's very strange."  
She sat next to him on the sofa, slowly rubbing her throbbing head.  
"What're you two talking about?" Virginia asked glancing at both of them.  
"We were discussing the aftermath of yesterday. However, we are still not sure how any of this came to be. Both Todd and Jet explained they were sure they died."  
Virginia's eyes widened. "Jet's alive?"  
Clive nodded. "Well yes. He left a few minutes ago."  
Virginia stood up. "I'll be right back." She quickly sped out the door, leaving Todd and Clive speechless. "This past week has been the strangest," Clive stated. Todd nodded in agreement.  
Jet closed his eyes as he stopped under a tree. "I still have those three Magnum bullets. I guess it was all in my mind. Our minds really were compressed. This is all too confusing," he thought as Virginia ran over to him.  
"You really are alive!" she exclaimed as she grasped Jet's arm in a slight hug.  
Jet blinked a few times, clearing his head. "What're you doing?" he asked as she slowly let go.  
Virginia began to blush. "Oh, sorry... I'm just so glad that you and Todd are alive."  
Jet glanced at the ground. "So, I'm presuming you did that with Todd too?"  
"Of course!" Virginia replied, backing away. "Its all right. You just interrupted me," Jet stated, walking back to Clive's home, Virginia following.  
When they returned, Clive was reading to Kaitlin and Todd seemed to be sketching something.  
Gallows was snoring, seemingly asleep, while Catherine had begun cooking.  
Virginia rubbed her forehead, saying she was going to take a small nap. Seeing nothing else to do, Jet sat beside Todd and watched him sketch.  
"Is there something the matter?" Todd asked, still focusing on the paper. Jet shook his head. "No, I'm fine, just a little tired."  
Todd set the pencil aside and held up his work. "So, what did you draw?" Jet asked.  
Todd turned the paper around for the Drifter to see. "It's nothing important, just a mindless sketch."  
The picture portrayed a small figure standing on a cliff overlooking a small town.  
"See? Like I said, nothing special."  
Jet closed his eyes.  
"Todd, I know we only just met, but, do you think I'm meant for something?"  
Todd donned a confused expression. "Well, Mr. Jet, I don't know. I'm not really the best person to discuss your destiny about."  
Jet nodded. "Sorry, I just... have a lot of things on my mind."  
Later that evening, Catherine brought out dinner for the entire group. The group viewed it as a celebration, as well as a farewell gesture, considering they would separate.  
About an hour later, dinner had been finished, allowing Jet to take a walk. Clive had decided to help his family clean, leaving Gallows to go to sleep. Todd began to read, and Virginia decided to go outside for a while.  
Jet walked to the entrance of the town. He leaned against the brick wall, attempting to think.  
"Feeling a bit depressed Mr. Enduro?"  
Jet's eyes opened quickly, scanning the area. He glanced around, trying to locate the source of the voice. "Don't worry you didn't imagine it, I'm right here."  
He quickly turned, noticing Virginia entering the area.  
"You... survived... How?"  
Virginia smiled. "It was easy Mr. Enduro. I simply transferred my mind to another host. I had to find the one whose mind was weak, as well as trouble. I have to spare as much of my energy as I can. So, I stumbled upon Miss Maxwell. Don't worry, she's all right, I just decided to speak with you a moment."  
"What do you want?"  
"My revenge. However, I will not stop. I will use this body if I must, and besides, I can somewhat feel demonic energy already in this body."  
Jet gritted his teeth. "Now what do I do?!" 


	26. Chapter Twenty

The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Twenty  
  
"I bet you're wondering how I survived, aren't you?"  
Jet was out of words. Haruko was alive! It had to be impossible.  
The demon grinned as he advanced a few steps forward. "I guess I'll start by saying that my absorption technique saved me. I was able to consume the energy of your weaponry and most of the life force of your friend. That was used to sustain me as I implanted myself in Miss Maxwell's conscious."  
"You slime," Jet remarked, making Haruko chuckle. "Perhaps, but we two are no different. I'm sure you yourself have killed before, and besides, you're a Drifter. Aren't you supposed to do anything it takes to survive?"  
Haruko was correct, Jet knew he was. He had killed before, but he never thought of it in that sense. You had to kill to survive?  
Haruko smirked. "Yes, but now we move on. It's amazing, Miss Maxwell here has massive amounts of demonic energy. It's as if countless demons are inside of her. But you know, this power will be all mine."  
"What?"  
"It's simple. Currently I'm weak, pathetic, but I'm able to absorb every bit of this energy. It will propel me to my perfection, allowing me to unleash the Forbidden Energy!"  
"What the Hell do you mean?!" Jet asked angrily. Haruko began to laugh. "I will absorb this energy and reach my full strength. Only then will be able to unleash the Forbidden Energy and survive. The Forbidden Energy could decimate this planet. That is how powerful it is, very dangerous and restricted. It was meant to contain my power and seal me in that mask. Yes, those fools have contributed to their downfall!"  
A moment passed before a massive tremor occurred. It seemed to rock the entire continent. Then suddenly, another tremor occurred, however, this one did not stop.  
"What the Hell?!" Gallows yelled from the room as Todd stood up quickly. The house felt as if it were going to fall at any moment.  
"Now Mr. Enduro, I will absorb this energy and free myself from this useless body!"  
The quake grew stronger as dark energy sprouted from the ground. Virginia's eyes sunk back into her skull as multiple beams of dark energy sprouted from her skin.  
The beams then combined, creating a large flash of darkness, which lasted a few moments.  
Jet shielded his eyes, the light burning his skin and bone.  
One final flash occurred before the display was finished, leaving an unconscious Virginia lying on the ground. A bleak mist floated above her, a horrible aura emanating from it.  
Jet froze, unable to move. He felt fear growing within him, but why fear? Why was he growing so fearful of the mist before him.  
"Hello Mr. Enduro. It'll take a few hours before I'm able to compress all of this magnificent power. However, I have one place I need to be right now. If you feel the need to try and stop me, come to the Tower of Saints, which lies northeast of here. However, I doubt you'll have an easy time finding it though!"  
The mist then dissipated, leaving Jet in shock.  
He slowly brought his gaze down to normal level and proceeded to kneel down beside Virginia.  
"Virginia, you okay?"  
The girl blinked a few times, attempting to correct her vision as she slowly sat up.  
"Jet? What happened?"  
"I'll explain later," Jet replied as he helped the girl up and returned to Clive's home.  
  
(Yep, this chapter was a short one.) 


	27. Chapter Twenty One

The Demon Lord, Haruko-Chapter Twenty One  
  
"So, you're saying the incredibly large tremor we just felt was the result of Haruko draining the energy from Virginia's body?"  
Jet had explained the situation as Virginia fell asleep.  
"Yeah, that's basically it," Jet replied as Clive flipped through a book. "However, I've went through all the books I own which cover demons. None of them describe a Forbidden Energy, or a Saint's Tower."  
Todd was busy adding finishing touches to his sketch, however, he listened keenly to the conversation. He felt uncomfortable as he moved the pencil. He was curious as to why he survived, and a pulsating pain continued to pound in his chest.  
Gallows frowned. "Well, why don't we just find this tower thingy, kill Haruko, and call it a day?"  
Jet glanced down. "It's not that easy. Gallows, we've fought Haruko. He's almost invincible, but we've managed to beat him. But now, he has a massive amount of power at his disposal, it's not going to be easy."  
Todd placed his pencil down and turned the chair. "Everyone, I think I better apologize."  
"For what?" Clive and Jet asked in unison as Todd stood up.  
"Well, all of this has been my fault. If you hadn't found me in the desert, you wouldn't have become mixed up with the demon. I was the one with the mask, you weren't."  
"Nonsense," Clive commented. "Perhaps you did purchase the mask, however, how were you supposed to have known Haruko resided within it? You aren't the one to blame, certain events occurred. Besides, we weren't prepared to allow you to die."  
Todd sat back down. "Maybe you're right. It's just that I'm just as dangerous as Haruko. I know the Ovius chip was infused with demonic energy. Morgan couldn't have just been the only one to find those gems, the others must've before him. They had to."  
"I do remember Daddy mentioning something to me about a gem, it was around the time I got really sick. I'm pretty sure Daddy told me the disease wasn't recorded. He told me I could die, I could die really fast. But then, he injected me with some liquid, and then a few days later, I was just fine."  
Everyone turned to see Virginia standing in the doorway leading to the bedroom.  
"You sure you're okay Ginny?" Gallows asked as the girl smiled.  
"I'm fine Gallows, thanks."  
Clive scanned the book before him. "Perhaps. That injection, it's very possible it was a liquefied state of the gem. Every gem or crystal is capable of being liquefied, this particular gem should be no different."  
Jet took a seat at the table Todd sat at and closed his eyes. "Yeah, but how did the liquid have so much demonic energy? Haruko said it would push him to his full power."  
Clive closed his eyes as well. "In reality, that specific gem or gem shard could have possibly been part of one main gem. I remember reading something which stated that our ancestors had used a massive object to defeat the demon army."  
Virginia sat down with Jet and Todd. "So, you're saying Daddy gave me all of that demonic energy?"  
Clive nodded. "It could've been the only way to save you. I'm sure the rest of the council objected at the time, but the energy is very dangerous."  
Gallows whistled. "Right, so what do we do?"  
Clive glanced up at Jet and transferred over to Todd. "We prepare. Once we're ready we should ride out with the sheriff's horses and attempt to locate the tower."  
With that, Clive stood up and walked over to the kitchen as Gallows gritted his teeth.  
"We never get cut any slack," he remarked as he straggled over to the bedroom.  
Virginia placed both of her hands on the table and glanced at Jet.  
"Um, Jet?" she asked as he nodded. "Thanks. Now that I think about it, you've saved me plenty of times and I never apologized, so, there it is."  
She smiled before leaving and going outside.  
Todd raised his gaze away from his sketch and stared at Jet.  
"Mr. Jet, do you remember what I said about Miss Virginia taking a liking to you?"  
Jet scratched his head. "What about it?"  
"I still believe it."  
Jet stood up and glanced at Todd.  
"Believe whatever you want. I, personally, don't have time for you ideas." He then walked over to the kitchen, leaving Todd to smile slightly. 


	28. Chapter Twenty Two

(First thing first, my computer's been acting a little funky, so I can't guarantee very many updates. The good thing, is that I can type the chapters and access the internet so, hopefully I can give you all what you want. Another good thing, is that I've finally beaten Final Fantasy 8, so I'll try to update more.)  
  
The Demon Lord, Haruko-Chapter Twenty Two  
  
The night passed slowly, almost as if time stopped completely.  
Todd noticed the streaks of lightning from the bedroom window. He could not sleep, not tonight at least.  
Another dream had occurred in Todd's mind, however, it was not as chaotic as the last ones.  
The dream plays itself with Todd at the age of five or six. He is sitting in some home, he has no clue who the house belongs to or where it is located.  
Like the past ones, Todd felt as if he was in the dream as well. However, his current thoughts and the thoughts of his child self entangled.  
His child form continued to excite about seeing his brother for the first time.  
Todd had been surprised at the moment. He had no family, nor had any siblings. The only person he had ever thought of as family was the elderly woman he lived with for a time. Now that he thought about it, he was around the age of seven or eight, after the current dream occurred.  
Todd sighed. "I know I have parents, but could I have had a family before I was orphaned? Who would give up their son?" he thought as he grasped his face.  
Unfortunately, the dream ended with his child self wandering outside.  
Todd continued to wonder about the dream until morning came.  
Clive grabbed his coat from the coat rack as Gallows limped behind him. "Hey, Clive! I can come too, right?"  
Clive turned to face the Baskar, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Gallows, your leg has yet to heal, I do not wish to threaten your life."  
Gallows scratched his head. "You don't have to worry about me! Look, I can heal it myself!"  
Clive stood aside as Gallows cupped his hands around his knee, a faint glow coming from it.  
Soon, a green light enveloped his leg. After a few moments, Gallows kicked his leg in the air and grinned.  
Clive smiled slightly. "All right then, I believe you can accompany us. Just remember, your life is t stake when we're dealing with Haruko."  
Clive placed his coat one and strolled out the door, leaving Gallows to sit back down.  
Jet loaded his Airget- Bambh(I don't know if it's spelled right.) and glanced up at the sky.  
He squinted, thinking he noticed a dark shape hovering, but he blinked, losing the gaze.  
He leaned against the wall as Clive stepped out and turned to him.  
"Have you seen our leader around?" he asked as Jet sighed.  
"Sorry, I just remember her leaving early this morning."  
Clive nodded and walked off to the sheriff's post just as Todd walked out.  
Jet glanced around before walking up to Todd as he wandered around the front gate, seemingly in thought.  
"Um, Todd?"  
Todd turned to Jet as he stopped.  
"Well, I gave some thought to what you said and, yeah, I guess anything's possible."  
Todd glanced to the ground before looking back to Jet.  
"Mr. Jet, have you ever had a dream, but it's not a dream. It's as if you're in the dream, but you're not."  
Jet squinted. "Yeah, I have."  
Todd closed his eyes. "All right. However, were the dreams normal, as if they were placed in reality?"  
Jet nodded, causing Todd to glance around.  
Clive entered the sheriff's post to see a young man speaking with the sheriff.  
"So, you haven't seen a boy, around the age of fifteen? Blue hair, with brown eyes?"  
The sheriff shook his head, confirming he had not seen a boy of that description.  
The man turned, a samurai sword strapped to his side. "All right then, thank you."  
He wore a black shirt with a green jacket over it. Long black pants covered his legs as he wore brown boots. A crimson glove covered his right hand.  
Dark brown hair fell to his shoulders as he walked past Clive, exiting the building.  
Clive watched him as he left, thoughts flowing through his mind.  
"Todd? Is he looking for Todd?" he thought as he glanced at the closed door.  
Jet spotted the young man exiting the sheriff's post. For some reason, he seemed vaguely familiar.  
Todd noticed the man as well, his gaze making contact with that of the man.  
"That man? Where have I seen him before?" he thought as the man walked towards him.  
"Amazing, you're still alive. I was sure you died when the accident occurred. You disappeared, but here you are, I can barely recognize you."  
"Excuse me, but have we met?" Todd asked as the man crossed his arms. "Could it be possible you're suffering from amnesia?"  
The man closed his eyes. "Yes, we were actually good friends. When you disappeared, I decided to track you down, seeing as your parents were going through a few problems. They thought you were dead, and to think, you've been alive this whole time."  
Todd scratched his head. "I... had parents?"  
"Of course you did. How do you think you're alive today?"  
Todd glanced to the ground as the man grinned.  
"I'm not sure if you remember me or not, but my name is Aaron, Aaron Dragio."  
Aaron Dragio, the name burned in Todd's head. He knew he had met this person before, he just did not know when or how.  
Aaron glanced around the town, his gaze fell upon Jet leaning against the wall, their eyes meeting for a moment.  
Aaron's mouth widened a little. "You? Jet Enduro? It's impossible, you can't be alive, you're dead. I know you are!"  
Jet stood straight, his mouth widening as well.  
  
(Sorry for the late update.) 


	29. Chapter Twenty Three

The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Twenty Three  
  
Aaron gripped the handle of his blade before advancing a few steps.  
"I don't believe this, nor do I understand it. I remember you died ten years ago. How are you still alive, Jet?"  
Aaron was about the age of twenty-four. Was it possible he knew Jet and Todd ten years ago?  
Jet closed his eyes. "You sure you don't have me mixed up with someone else?"  
"Maybe. It is peculiar. You only seem to be a few years older then when you died. Yeah, your father enlisted into the Council of Seven shortly after. He was accepted, and soon after, the incident happened."  
"What incident?" Todd asked suddenly. Aaron turned to face him.  
The town was attacked by a group of raiders. They completely plundered the ton, and set it on fire. We were able to put out most of the fires, but the damage was far too heavy. It was after that that you were presumed dead."  
Todd did not respond, but glanced to the ground as Aaron began to speak once more.  
"Your mother was so devastated. It pained me to see all the people close to you in sorrow. I decided to find you, and here I am, ten years later. It's a bit late though."  
Aaron then began to laugh. "But, both of you are alive. Ironic, don't you think?"  
Jet snorted. "Maybe, but why should we believe you?"  
Aaron glanced back at Jet. "Good point. I guess I'll see if I should bother making you believe."  
He then rushed at Jet, unsheathing his blade. Jet gritted his teeth and ducked, right before the blade dented the brick wall.  
Jet quickly rolled from underneath Aaron and stood up.  
"Shit, that sword's sharp. Can't get hit."  
Aaron jumped on the wall, and sprung from it, heading straight for Jet. He quickly began slashing, forcing Jet to act fast and dodge each swipe.  
He avoided most of them, but the blade grazed at his arm and face, causing him to wince in pain.  
Jet squinted and leaped back before Aaron brought his sword down.  
Jet reached for his weapon and readied it. "I guess it was a good idea to think we were leaving early this morning," he thought as his opponent dashed at him.  
Jet was just about to fire when Aaron knocked the ARMs out of his hand and prepared to strike once more.  
Jet followed the gun with his eyes as it rolled away. He quickly glanced back at the blade as it sliced through the air towards his face.  
Jet caught the blade with both of his hands just before it touched his nose. Aaron noticed that he kept a straight face as the cold steel grazed the tip of his nose.  
Jet began to struggle as he tried to hold the blade.  
Aaron wasted no time in smashing Jet in the stomach with his right knee and then kicking him to the ground.  
Jet rolled backwards and acquired his ARMs while raced at him with his sword.  
Jet raised his gun to shoot as Aaron brought his sword down to Jet's heart.  
Both remained perfectly still, anyone of them could end the other's life.  
Aaron smiled as he closed his eyes and withdrew his sword. "Sorry, I did have you mistaken with someone else. The Jet I knew always lost to me. He lost easily actually. You, on the other hand, predicted my movement, knowing when to move and how."  
Jet stood up. "Well, you become more keen when you're forced to survive out there, alone."  
Aaron stepped back. "So, where are you headed off to?"  
Jet scratched his head. "I'm not sure. I guess, I'll tell you later."  
Aaron turned back to glance at Todd. "Yes, it's quite ironic. I remember your mother was diagnosed with a disease. I'm not sure what the town's status is right now."  
Todd glanced around. "All this time, I never knew my family. I still don't, but I guess I might never be able to meet them."  
Aaron placed his left hand on Todd's shoulder. "I don't know myself, but it won't hurt you that much. Besides, you never met them."  
Todd nodded. "You're right. I never did meet them. I'm not really sad, just a tad disappointed."  
Todd took a few steps toward Clive's home. "I'm going to get my belongings ready Mr. Jet. Can you please inform Mr. Clive."  
Jet nodded, allowing Todd to step inside.  
Aaron crossed his arms. "It's sad. I'm sure his mother died shortly after she acquired the disease. It's too bad."  
Jet glanced at him. "What're you not telling him."  
Aaron closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.  
Clive readied the five horses as Virginia walked up to him.  
"So, where have you been off to?" Clive asked as Virginia patted one of the horses.  
"Um, Clive?"  
Clive turned his head, allowing Virginia to speak. "Yes?"  
Virginia glanced around. "Do you think we'll die?"  
Clive glanced at the ground before answering.  
"I... am not sure." 


	30. Chapter Twenty Four

The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Twenty- Four.  
  
Aaron slowly sipped his tea as Jet spoke. Seeing him was as if the past Jet was here, now. The one he thought would be there for Todd, however, he was gone now, the only part left of him locked away in this person, this machine.  
"So, from what I gathered I'm not your friend. Just some experiment," Jet stated as Aaron placed his glass down.  
"If Elliot was involved I'm sure there was a greater purpose."  
Jet sighed. "I seriously doubt it. And asking him would be impossible. They're all dead."  
"Perhaps, but he modeled you after his son. You have the original Jet's memories."  
Jet gritted his teeth. "What don't you get?! I'm not your friend, I'll never be. He and I have completely different lives! I may look like him, and have some of his memories, but I'm not even a real person!" he exclaimed as he stood up and walked outside.  
Aaron took another sip of his tea before following.  
"You may not be Jet, but you're the closest thing," he stated as he caught up with the opposite Drifter. Jet stopped as he heard those words, allowing Aaron to continue.  
"At least Todd doesn't have to know his brother died anymore. And then his father leaves. It was horrible to him."  
Jet turned to face Aaron. "I'm not even supposed to be Jet Enduro, but some Adam Kadmon. Look, I'm sorry that Todd's brother died, but I'm not him. I'm not real!" he yelled.  
Aaron glanced at the ground. "That's fine if you want to think of it that way, but... you have a purpose. I don't mean the one you were originally designed for. Look at yourself! You can think, feel. You hold emotions, even memories! You may be a machine, but you're so much human you're not. The fact is, the Enduros adopted Todd for a chance of the true Jet to have a brother. It was the same for Todd. He loved that family so much, that he tried to protect his mother, even if she wasn't. You may not be the real Jet, but he died. There's no use to compare when there's only one left! You might have been meant to be Adam Kadmon, but you're Jet Enduro to those who've met you. Right, now you're your own Jet."  
Jet glanced to the ground. "But what am I supposed to do?"  
Aaron shrugged. "I'm not sure. I guess you'll have to figure that out by yourself."  
Todd added the finishing touches to his picture before placing his name in the bottom- right hand corner of the paper.  
Virginia stepped into the den as he finished. "What're you drawing?" she asked while sitting beside him. Todd sighed. "Just a picture. It's nothing unique. But, I guess you could say it's my trademark or so, something to leave behind if I don't come back."  
Virginia glanced at the picture for a second before looking back at Todd. "I'm sure you'll be okay, besides, you don't have to come with us if you don't want to."  
Todd shook his head. "No, I'll go. I feel as if I need to."  
The rest of the day passed on slowly. The group would depart at dawn, much to Gallow's protest once again.  
Clive assisted his wife with dinner that night. He decided to eat with his family alone. The others had no trouble with it. Virginia and Todd had even persuaded Aaron to stay for dinner.  
Todd had demanded Aaron to inform him of his past life. Jet decided to eat alone on the porch that night, wanting no part whatsoever in the discussion. That left all but Gallows, who went to sleep early.  
Jet slowly sipped his soup before glancing back at the sky. Virginia stepped outside a moment later, carrying her own bowl.  
Jet shifted uncomfortably at the girl's sudden, but predictable appearance.  
"What?" he asked as she took a seat beside him and began to eat.  
"It was too tense in there in my opinion. I'd rather feel relaxed."  
Jet quickly took two sips of his soup. "Could Todd be right? He can't be... Shit, I guess I'll have to endure this," he thought as the girl glanced at him.  
"This seems a tad spicy, what do you think?"  
Jet quickly thought of an appropriate answer, but one that seemed like it was coming from him. "It's fine," he answered, sighing.  
Virginia pouted at her feeble attempts to try and start a conversation with him. She decided to use her last resort.  
"So, what're you going to do once this is all over?"  
Jet finished his soup before answering. "Probably just go and wander. Maybe rent a Sandcraft and travel."  
Virginia suddenly stood up. "Then it's settled! We are to make the best of this, got it?!"  
Jet glanced at her before returning his gaze to the floor. He decided it was better thank being killed.  
  
(This was a bit of a space filler if you ask me.) 


	31. Chapter Twenty Five

The Demon Lord, Haruko-Chapter Twenty- Five  
  
The air chilled Aaron's face as he watched the group strap their belongings and equipment to the horses.  
The sheriff had allowed them to keep the horses, saying that Drifters always needed quick transportation.  
"So, are you going to come with us?"  
Aaron turned to see Jet standing behind him. "No, I have a few matters I need to handle. Besides, it feels right."  
Jet crossed his arms. "Whatever, as long as you're not throwing crap in my face."  
Aaron smiled. "Funny, you say you're not the real Jet, but you still have that sarcastic personality."  
"I don't think I'm-. Jet was cut short as Aaron had already taken a few steps outside of the town. Suddenly, he stopped and turned around. "Until we meet again..." he muttered.  
Jet shrugged and walked over to Clive.  
"Are we ready to go?"  
Clive looked up at him. "I believe we are. Our allies have yet to awaken."  
Jet sighed. "Gee, don't they have an idea of what dawn means? It's when the sun comes up."  
Jet plopped down on the bench beside Clive.  
Jet leaned his head on one of his arms, trying to regain some lost, meaningless team. He had been the one to risk his life most of the time. "I can't believe they can't even wake up early. They all fell like logs when it wasn't even that dark. I went to bed like three hours later," he thought aloud.  
Clive glanced at him. "Perhaps, it is strange, but nothing to dwell over. We'll just have to work with our new schedule."  
Jet sighed. Almost amazingly, he felt like speaking to Clive for some reason. The silence was eerie, and it felt much too cold.  
"Can you feel it? That intense feeling filled with dread. It's evil," Clive stated glancing at his comrade.  
Jet glanced upwards. "So, this emptiness is evil?"  
Clive nodded. "Not exactly, but it holds evil, I can feel it. Normally, most people are not keen to outside forces. However, when they are strong enough, our minds can feel, even interact. You see, Jet, evil is not just killing, or anything else. We all have some evil within us, mostly because it is essential. Without it, we wouldn't hold any darkness, but at the same moment, what does it help to hold good in our hearts?"  
Jet thought for a moment about this. "So, if there's no evil, there's no good. But that would just make evil."  
Clive nodded. "There can't be one without the other. Good would just sprout again. But you see, evil can be anything. Two young boys fighting, stealing, it all amounts to evil."  
Jet closed his eyes. "So, we need evil." Clive nodded. "Yes. Some people would rather not accept the fact and try to focus on the better things, however, you cannot avoid it forever; we all need to see it if we ever want to live peacefully. But the truth is, we might have peace, but darkness would still dwell in the hearts of men. So, evil can never truly be destroyed, for each one of us would be incomplete without it."  
Clive stopped for a moment, taking in a thought. "The same for good."  
Jet opened his eyes and glanced at the ground. "You have it good Clive, you have a family. You have a reason to live. I'm not sure if I do."  
Clive glanced at Jet. "I'm sure you'll find it. I'm also sure you could acquire a family as well."  
Jet chuckled at the thought. "Whatever, don't have time for trivial matters like that."  
Jet glanced at Clive. "You know, I'm gonna miss you Clive."  
"I you."  
A few hours later, the group set out. Todd was able to ride his own horse this time.  
A few hours passed as the group traveled, however, no tower was found.  
The group stopped. "What the Hell are we looking for?!" Gallows shouted. Jet remained silent, thinking. "Haruko said it would be hard to find..."  
Jet winced. "Hey, any of you notice that it's hotter here?"  
Jet jumped off his horse and felt the ground. "Steam. It's like there's a whole lot of steam under here."  
Clive did the same, nodding after a moment. "Yes, it feels extremely humid here, and yes, I can feel the heat. It's as if a pocket of steam resides under here. However, I can feel it rising."  
Suddenly, the plateau shook, forcing the two to step aside as a massive rush of air bursted from the rock.  
"Can you feel that? It's steam, rising up," Jet stated. Clive looked upwards. "Something must be attracting the steam."  
Jet nodded and looked up, noticing a black cloud. It was not completely black, but darker than the rest, hardly noticeable. However, Jet remembered seeing that same cloud the day before.  
"It's up in the sky, Saint's Tower. It's up in the sky."  
Clive noticed the cloud as well. "Yes, I can feel the steam heading to that point, but how are we to reach it?" 


	32. Chapter Twenty Six

(Before we start, I have to commend the continued support of Teefa and her pals, as well as everyone else who decided to review. Even though readers have been lost, it is the support and non- flaming which has fueled me to write this story. The first Wild Arms fic I posted was greeted with nothing but flames, so I wasn't too optimistic about how this story turned out. Well, amazingly, this story has gotten nothing but positive reviews and has already passed the thirty- chapter mark, which surprised me the most. I hold the option for a sequel high, but it is also highly questionable. Whether or not there is a sequel, I thank everyone who even glanced at the summary.)  
  
The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Twenty- Six.  
  
The demon leaned against the cold, stone wall, breathing heavily. "Finally, my body has finally compressed all of the power. Every one of the demon's souls inside of me, always there, but without the power to be utilized. Funny though, I expected Mr. Enduro and his companions to be here by now."  
Haruko began to laugh as he stood up. "Perhaps they were destroyed by the tower's guardian?"  
"Uh, are you guys sure it's up there?" Gallows asked. Clive nodded. "We have ridden as far east as it allows. Besides, I feel a strong pressure, the atmosphere is not right here."  
Jet scratched his head. "Yeah, but how do we get up there?'  
Clive smiled. "I believe we should ride the steam up."  
Gallows stared at Clive for a moment, fear growing within his eyes. "Are you insane?! We'll all get incinerated!"  
Clive closed his eyes. "True, but it seems you've forgotten a very important fact. We can use the mediums to protect ourselves, and then ride the steam up."  
Jet nodded. "That sounds like a sure fire way not to get us killed. Let's do it."  
Clive nodded. "All right then. Virginia, Gallows, prepare yourselves."  
Virginia nodded and walked up to the crater. Gallows still felt uneasy, barely skidding to the crater.  
"Get a move on! We don't have all day." Jet suddenly kicked Gallows, landing his head dangerously close to the edge.  
Gallows watched in horror as the temperature rose, the steam was rising.  
Virginia quickly pulled him away, barely saving his face from being burnt.  
Gallows turned to Jet with anger in his eyes. "You stupid idiot! You could've killed me!"  
Jet just shrugged, seeing no urgency.  
Virginia then pulled him near the crater, creating a shield around them.  
"Okay, here we go!" Virginia exclaimed as she hopped on the crater just as the steam grew.  
The speed was incredible, Virginia struggled to keep her footing. However, even with the Arcana protecting them, the heat was intense.  
Clive nodded. "Good, now, let us travel."  
Jet rotated his neck. "You sure they're up there?"  
"They must be, the steam has stopped."  
Todd walked up to the crater. "We should get a move on." Clive nodded as he and Jet followed.  
Virginia quickly grabbed Gallows and jumped off of the steam. She landed shakily, dropping Gallows, who grasped his face in pain.  
Virginia glanced around, the air stopping. There was no chill; all was... still.  
"What is this place?" she muttered as they stood before a massive gate.  
Damp puddles were scattered across the black, rocky floor. Dark clouds surrounded the complex.  
"How could a place be so gloomy?" Virginia thought aloud as Gallows stood up. "They don't have a nice interior decorator?" he suggested.  
Clive, and Jet, and Todd hopped on the plateau as thunder roared.  
"I don't like the way this place feels," Todd stated, glancing around nervously.  
"I agree, it is quite unnerving," Clive replied.  
Jet glanced around, his ears suddenly picking a faint, but growing noise.  
"Listen," he suddenly sputtered, causing everyone to grow quiet.  
Hissing, that was the noise. Hissing and staggering.  
Todd felt something brush against his leg. He quickly glanced down, seeing a tentacle grasping hold of his leg. He only gasped, as the tentacle pulled him through the right wall.  
Virginia readied her pistols as Gallows glanced around.  
Suddenly, a beast jumped down upon Gallows, attempting to attack.  
Clive quickly shot it down, the bullet hole suddenly healing.  
"It can self- recover!" he exclaimed as another tentacle grasped hold of his throat.  
"There's more then one!" Virginia cried out as she shot repeatedly at the recovered beast.  
The beast was wolf- like in appearance, a dark gray color covered its fur. Mounds of crystal were wrapped around its neck, while four silver tentacles sprouted from underneath the crystal.  
The beasts were larger than Virginia, deadly claws stuck from its paws.  
Jet leapt through the hole and down the small passage. "Todd, you down here?" There was no reply.  
He glanced around, taking notice of shuffling of some sort.  
He readied his ARMs as the shuffling became louder.  
Another tentacle shot out, but Jet quickly shot at it, tearing it in half.  
Dust fell from the ceiling as the beast roared, leaping off the top.  
Jet gritted his teeth as the beast struck at him. He evaded the assault and circled around the beast, his bullet hitting their mark.  
He jumped back, awaiting the beast as it slowly advanced.  
"No effect, it didn't do anything. That sucks."  
The wall to the left suddenly crumbled as the separate beast knocked Clive down.  
Two tentacles had grasped hold of his left leg, while one remained firm on his throat.  
Jet prepared to assist, but his weapon was swiped away. The beast forced him down, striking with its claw. Jet quickly grabbed hold of the claw and fought with all of his might to stop it from searing his throat.  
Clive struggled with the creature as it leapt upon the corner wall. Clive let loose a bullet attempting to hit the beast, but it quickly sprung into the next wall, which lead into a pit full of murky water.  
Clive smashed the blunt end of his rifle against the beast's head, causing it to loosen its grip on his throat and leg.  
He forced one more hit, knocking the creature away, barely shooting it once before it began to fall upon him.  
However, Clive was already falling straight into the water. 


	33. Chapter Twenty Seven

The Demon Lord, Haruko-Chapter Twenty Seven

Jet gritted his teeth as the beast's jaws neared his face, straining his eyes. He glanced back at his weapon. The Drifter attempted a weak grasp at it using his free left hand. Of course, his gun was too far to grasp.

Suddenly, Todd ran up and kicked the ARMs towards its master. Jet grabbed the gun and triggered it at the beast's throat.

The bullets shot through, causing the beast to fall limp beside Jet, for now. The Drifter stood up and reloaded his ARMs.

"You okay?" he asked Todd quickly, who nodded. Jet scratched his head. "Where'd Clive go?" Todd shook his head. "I'm not sure."

Clive forced his eyes open as he rose from the water. He slowly glanced around, his eyes landing on a tunnel.

Clive also noticed the beast was gone as he picked up his rifle and began a slow trek through the tunnel. The sound of rushing water was strong, and Clive noticed he was standing in water two inches high.

Jet and Todd slowly walked over to the hole where Clive had fallen through. "Damn, where is that thing?" Jet asked as Todd peeked lower as a low growl could be heard.

Jet quickly turned to notice the beast had disappeared. "Shit, where'd it go?"

Suddenly, two tentacles wrapped around Jet's right arm and tugged him, pulling him down hard.

Jet lifted his gaze to see the beast standing upon the corner of the room.

He gritted his teeth and shot, but the creature sprang to the ground and began to run quickly.

Jet winced as his arm scraped over a jagged rock. The beast was increasing in speed as it turned a corner, smashing Jet against the concrete wall.

Clive held his ARMs at the ready as a quick splash was heard. He slowly rotated his gaze, only to notice dust falling from the ceiling. Suddenly, the beast sprung on him and forced him down, its jaws snapping at his face.

He quickly grasped his rifle and shot it down, however, it began to rise a moment later.

Clive began to sprint in the opposite direction, only to have another beast knock him into a separate room.

Todd ran to the corner to see Jet use the tentacle to swing onto the beast. He then jammed his ARMs into the crystals.

"Can't you friggin' die!" he shouted as let loose a steady flow of lead into the beast's head.

It roared loudly and forced him off, but Jet was quick, shooting one of his Magnum bullets.

The bullet clashed against the beast's head, causing a loud rumble and explosion. The blue light blinded Jet and Todd as the beast incinerated.

However, it was over a moment later.

Jet rubbed his eyes and reloaded his ARMs. "Dammit! I used one of my Magnums, at least it killed it," he thought.

"Are you all right?!" Todd asked urgently.

Jet nodded. "Yeah, but we have to find Clive. He's probably in more trouble then we are."

Virginia crashed against the wall as a massive tremor occurred. "What was that?!" Gallows yelled as Virginia avoided another attack from the beast.

"How can we beat this thing?" she muttered as it sprung at her. She ducked, causing the beast to crash through the wall, falling into the darkness.

Clive ran to the corner of the new chamber, which held a large wheel which seemed to re- circulate the water. There also seemed to be a large pool of water underneath, which a gate resided.

The two beasts hurtled into the room, preparing to slaughter their intruder.

Clive wiped away a few droplets of water from his glasses before holding out his hand and creating a massive flame. He then manipulated it to grow, creating a large sphere of fire.

The beasts seemed reluctant to advance, as if they were fearful of fire.

Clive slowly stood up, waving his hand to push the fire farther, as if making a shield.

"Clive, you okay?!" Jet yelled as his comrade looked up at him. "I have been better."

Jet nodded as one of the beasts attempted to attack him. He quickly shot it back down as Todd slid down to Clive.

Jet reloaded his weapon as he also jumped down, the beasts were becoming irritated.

"So, how were you able to destroy one?" Clive asked as Jet held fast. "Well, I had to use one of my secret weapons, but I don't want to waste them."

Todd turned to them. "Hey, guys, what are they doing?"

Jet and clive glanced at the two beasts as they seemed to merge together.

"What the?!" Jet exclaimed as the two formed into a large serpent made of crystal.

Two massive fins sprouted from the sides as it roared, causing dirt and rubble to fall to the ground.

"What do you suppose we do now?" Todd stammered. Clive shook his head as Jet prepared to fire.


	34. Chapter Twenty Eight

The Demon Lord, Haruko-Chapter Twenty- Eight

"How do we get past this gate?" Virginia thought as Gallows poked at the rubble. "Darn Jet and Clive, leaving us to die."

Virginia glanced at him. "Thought about helping me yet?"

Gallows looked back at her. "Yeah, yeah, it just seems so stupid that a big tremble closes this thing off. And the other one leads to ho knows where."

Virginia slid her hand across the gate once, trying to feel for any locks or such. "I don't get this," she thought as she felt it once more.

A moment later, though, the gate lit up in green light. It suddenly shattered, revealing a fountain before a stairwell.

"How did that happen?" she muttered as Gallows watched in awe.

She turned to him. "Let's go."

The beast rammed the wall, causing the three to swim into the water.

Clive glanced around, searching for some way to escape.

The beast roared as it entered the water as well. Jet gritted his teeth. "How do we get this gate open?!"

Clive shook his head as the beast attempted another attack.

The group swam underneath the platform, finding a small tunnel. Jet signaled with his hands as he slid through, followed by Todd, and then Clive.

The beast quickly slid through after them, using its serpent- like abilities to quickly catch up.

Clive noticed this and swam faster, only to collide with Todd.

"What now?" he thought as he noticed Jet had stopped.

Todd inched to the side to allow Clive to see Jet had stopped before a large wall, which cut them off.

Clive closed his eyes. "They needed to breathe, and the beast was nearing.

Jet glanced around, noticing the beast. He placed his hand on the wall and concentrated, causing the wall to begin to crack. He gritted his teeth as his mind strained to force the wall open.

A moment later, the wall crumbled, just as the beast approached.

Jet rolled as he touched the ground, while Todd landed shakily. Clive landed upright, readying his rifle as the beast crashed through the ceiling.

The water quickly filled the chamber, leaving the three with only their chest and above exposed.

The beast roared once more as the crystals on its body glowed.

Suddenly, a dark blue aura surrounded it, creating five spheres of energy.

The beast dove underwater, crashing into the floor as the water seeped through.

"It's trying to create a suitable environment!" Clive yelled as the beast rose, preparing to attack him. Jet shot at it, but the bullets deflected off of the crystals.

The beast smashed its tail against Clive, causing him to fly into the wall.

Jet grabbed Todd and descended, the beast quickly followed.

Jet swam past the next attack, but was swiped away from the second. The beast prepared to finish him, but Todd was quick in pushing out of the way as the creature widened its mouth, revealing a strange crystal. It suddenly glowed, unleashing a bright blue blast. Todd was barely able to glance at it as the blast collided with him, causing a huge flash.

Jet shielded his eyes as the flash ensued, ceasing quickly. He waved his arm aside to see Todd still, frozen. His body had grown a slight blue tint.

Jet gritted his teeth as the beast rushed at him, a large blade forming on its right side. Jet glanced at it just before it slashed his right arm, causing him to loosen his grip on his ARMs.

He grasped his arm, noticing the cut healing.

"It's doing it again."

Suddenly, the beast rammed him, crashing him into the wall.

Clive rubbed his face as a low rumbling sound was heard.

He quickly dove under, heading towards the beast.

Jet flipped, avoiding the next ram as he grabbed his gun. He turned as the beast headed towards him, unleashing a few of the crystals. Jet's eyes widened in surprise as the crystals clashed against his skin. He winced in pain as the beast prepared to use its flash freeze.

The blast hit Jet head- on, just as Clive neared him.

Gallows yelped as he tripped over the rim of the stairwell. Virginia reacted quickly, catching him before he fell.

"Thanks... I thought I was gonna die."

"You almost did," Virginia replied as the stairs creaked.

"What was that?" Gallows asked as the stairs creaked once more.

Virginia glanced around, noticing a faint light, just before the stairs unhooked, falling into the darkness.


	35. Chapter Twenty Nine

The Demon Lord, Haruko-Chapter Twenty- Nine

Virginia blinked a few times, attempting to readjust her vision. Her surroundings were dark, and she could not see or hear Gallows.

She stood up slowly, glancing around. However, her attention was caught by a small light which seemed to point down on her.

Clive stopped completely once he took notice of Jet's condition. However, he had no time to speculate as the beast had taken notice of him, and was already attempting to attack.

He was caught completely off guard as the tail swapped him against the wall, onto a small patch of floor, which did not become flooded.

The beast began to prepare for its finishing move while Clive awaited his end. It was strange though, he felt more relieved then he expected. At the very least, he was able to say goodbye to his friends and family.

However, a sudden thought struck Clive for a moment. The beast, separated, had seemed fearful of fire; perhaps they had retained that weakness.

He quickly held out his hand. Suddenly, a spiral of fire enveloped the beast, scorching it.

It screeched in what seemed as pain, allowing Clive to rest somewhat.

However, the room began to tremble violently as a burst of light shot out of the water.

Virginia slowly walked through the barren hallway of darkness. It seemed as if time stopped completely. However, Virginia stopped suddenly, swearing she heard a faint noise.

"What was that?" she muttered as another rustling was heard.

Suddenly, Virginia began to hover, noticing a strain on her throat and abdomen.

The faint light grew brighter, illuminating the large tree- like being. Two vines were fastened around Virginia's neck and waist, while its roots were sticking out from the ground at random locations. Its vines were entangled with the roots, and its canopy blocked out the natural light, which flowed out from the stairwell.

Virginia glanced up to notice the vines were holding the stairwell together and it seemed they were clustered around it entirely.

Virginia noticed a small bed of water around the tree's body. It seemed to be its source of energy.

Virginia grasped the vine around her neck. It was much too tight for her to remove, and it seemed she was drawing closer to the entity.

"Oh man, it's going to eat me!" she thought as the mass of greenery shifted, revealing a gaping hole of some kind, which seemed to be somewhat a mouth.

Virginia loosened her hands and attempted to grasp her pistols. However, she could not, as her arms seemed held back.

She fought with all of her strength to push her arms, but the attempt was futile, as Virginia stared into the darkness of the hole.

Clive watched in awe as the pillar of light widened and tore the water.

The beast suddenly collapsed, a large black fist bursting through it. The figure rose from the water completely, wide horns and black fists standing out in the background.

Ovius approached Clive quickly, roaring in delight with new prey.

Clive closed his eyes as Ovius rose its right fist.

"Todd!"

Ovius turned abruptly as Clive opened his eyes in surprise.

Jet wiped away blood from his lip as he took a short breath.

"Todd, stop this! I know you're under there!"

"This is our last chance. If my voice can reach him, we might be able to stop this," Jet thought as Ovius roared in somewhat pain as it grasped its head.

Jet approached cautiously, his eyes studying the figure as it rose.

"Todd, control it..."

Suddenly, Ovius sprung up, smashing its left fist in Jet's stomach. The blow sent him crashing to the floor, but he it was not strong enough to disable him completely.

Jet rebounded back and sprinted at Ovius as Clive stood.

The being knocked Jet back down, and attempted to kill him, however, Clive grasped its arm and stopped the attack as Jet looked up in surprise.

Ovius roared once more as it swung its left fist at Clive's abdomen, a blade growing from it.

Jet watched in horror as blood spilled upon the floor. Clive placed his hand on the wound near his upper right- hand stomach.

He fell to his knees as Ovius backed away, seemingly aware of its actions.

The armor began to crack and burn, leaving Todd at his knees in pain.

Jet slowly stood up, walking over to Clive with urgency.

"Clive, can you stand up? It's okay," Jet consoled as Clive slowly looked up at him. "I'm... just fine..."

Clive suddenly fell unconscious, causing Jet to quickly catch him.

Todd watched in horror as he stood up, a few tears falling from his eyes.

"Mr. Jet?"

Jet glanced at him. "Please... shoot me. I shouldn't be allowed to live," Todd stammered.

Jet glanced back at Clive for a moment, and then back at Todd. "It wasn't your fault. What? Do you just expect me to kill you?!"

Todd fell back to sitting on the ground, his eyes still locked with Jet's.

"Yes, I do."


	36. Chapter Thirty

The Demon Lord, Haruko-Chapter Thirty

"I can't just shoot you," Jet stated as Todd looked up at him.

"You have to! If it weren't for me, Clive wouldn't be like this!"

Jet glanced upwards. "But if I shot you, would that stop Ovius?" Todd nodded. "I figured it out. In order for it to live, it must rely on a separate mind. It merges with it. That's why it kept me alive after Haruko's mind compression!"

Jet closed. "I can't. You'd think that killing would be easier, but I'm not going to kill you, you don't need to die."

Suddenly, gunshots could be heard not far off. Jet gritted his teeth as he assisted Clive up and darted towards the sound. Todd reluctantly followed as he believed he noticed the creature had disappeared.

Gallows hit the wall as he attempted another shot at his opponent. He could not see it, nor hear it.

Jet ran as fast as he could, noticing their surroundings had changed. It was becoming much hotter and humid, the air was becoming very dry as well.

Todd wiped some sweat from his forehead as the heat increased. He soon found himself standing before a massive pit of magma. Gallows stood at the opposite end of the chamber.

"Gallows!" Jet exclaimed as the Baskar fired another shot. He glanced at the three before his opponent attacked, knocking him into the pit. Gallows quickly grasped the ledge as Jet fired, hitting the creature.

Once it had been hit, it became visible. The creature seemed bird- like, a large crystal sticking from its back.

The creature was about to attempt another attack when the chamber shook violently. The beast from the tower's entrance crashed into the room, swapping the separate creature aside as it concentrated its view on Jet and Todd.

It then prepared to fire its "flash- freeze", signaling to Jet and to run.

Jet quickly picked up Clive and began to run along the edge of the chamber. Todd followed quickly, barely avoiding the beam.

However, the beast stopped. The magma had begun to burn away at the crystals, reaching its vulnerable skin.

Jet grasped his ARMs. "I'm getting really ticked off now. Can't you just stay dead?!" Jet released the hatch and fired his second Magnum bullet. The explosion occurred instantly once the bullet collided with the beast. The tremble triggered the chamber to begin to fall apart.

The magma seeped into the previous room as Gallows fell into the lower chamber.

"Mr. Gallows!" Todd yelled as the ceiling began to collapse.

Jet darted towards the newly opened gate where Gallows had been. Todd followed as well, barely escaping the chamber before it collapsed completely.

Virginia heard a faint echo of falling rubble as footsteps became heard.

"Ginny!" Gallows shouted as he shot at the tree, causing a dark, purple liquid seeped out.

The tree shot two of its vines at the Baskar, who ran to the side and shot again.

"Gallows?" Virginia thought as the vines tightened around her throat.

Suddenly, some of the magma from the chamber had seeped to this area, engulfing the tree.

Virginia dropped to the floor as the greenery began to incinerate.

"Ginny, you okay?" Gallows asked as ran to her. Virginia nodded as she stood up. "I'm fine, but where are we?"

Gallows shrugged as Virginia glanced around, noticing the newly revealed hallway.

Jet removed his hand from Clive's chest as he slowly opened his eyes. "The spell was able to stop the bleeding, but you're still weak."

Clive sat up. "I'm fine. I can still walk," He stated as he stood up before falling back.

Jet caught him and hoisted him up. "Just take it easy."

Todd peered down the waterfall, which hung from the edge of the small hallway. "We're going to have to climb down from that ladder and up those stairs."

Jet nodded. "All right then."

The three successfully progressed down the ladder and up the stairs.

Todd glanced out a large crack in the tower wall. The stairs were even longer than expected, leading up to a spiraling tower.

"Whoa, the sky's completely clear. No clouds like at the entrance," Todd stated. Jet glanced as well for a second, taking in the picture.

Clive walked up to the ending of the stairs. "There's a peculiar door here." Jet and Todd walked up behind him, noticing the door as well.

Jet ran his hand across the door. "Okay, how are we supposed to get through?"

Clive shook his head. "I'm not sure, bu-.

The door slid open, revealing a large chamber. The walls were lined with gems. Jet and Clive took notice of the gems, confirming they were of the same type Morgan had discovered,

Pillars lined up on the left and right of the room, while a large chapel lay at the very back of the room. A small set of stairs led up to it, while a strange hole was imbedded into the wall above it.

"What is this place?" Jet muttered as they looked around, a sudden, cold sensation filling the room at the current moment.

"Well, well, well, you all took long enough."

The three suddenly looked up at the chapel, seeing Haruko standing before the hole.

"Were you waiting for us, or something?" Jet asked as Clive studied the demon.

Haruko smiled. "The task of which I'm about to perform demands much of my strength. I was merely gathering it up."

Clive stepped up. "What exactly are you speaking of?"

Haruko chuckled. "Don't you worry Mr. Winslett, all will be explained in due time."


	37. Chapter Thirty One

The Demon Lord, Haruko-Chapter Thirty One

Virginia and Gallows entered a small chamber, a bright glow emanating from the center of the room.

"What is that?" Gallows asked as Virginia walked up to it, placing her hand on it. "It's a crystal," she replied, "a very big crystal."

"I must apologize if I didn't say hello. Welcome to the ultimate weapon of the demons."

"Ultimate weapon?" Clive asked. Haruko nodded. "Yes, this tower may seem like a twisting, turning castle, but it is truly a cannon."

"Cut the crap and get to the point," Jet remarked. Haruko nodded. "All right then, this is called the Osiris Cannon. This hole here activates it, but you see, there is only one energy which can activate it, and that is the planet's essence."

"The planet's essence?!" Clive exclaimed, astonished. "What's up?" Jet asked. His comrade thought for a moment before replying.

"The planet's essence is an extremely powerful source of energy which was used in the most ancient of times. Some people believe that that is the main source of Filgaia's deterioration."

Haruko nodded. "Yes, Filgaia was a beautiful place once, but you see, energy was scarce. The humans decided to use a small amount of the planet for energy sources, but you see, they began to suck the planet dry."

"How do you know this?" Clive asked. Haruko glanced to the floor. "Because, I was once human as well."

Clive stepped back. "A demon once human? I've never read or heard such information."

The demon began to laugh. "And that is why it is so amusing. Allow me to explain, you see, I held a unique ability, one that allowed me to absorb energy, any type of energy. However, it seemed useless, what would I use it for? But then, I got into a fight. Accidentally, I absorbed most of his life energy, which allowed me to live longer! It wasn't useless, and I began to see all of the possibilities. I tried me hardest to control it."

Jet snorted. "Okay, what does it have to do with your demonization?"

"But soon, the humans' meddling brought upon the war against the demons, and then, a demon died right before me, and without knowing, I absorbed his soul, I became part demon. So, I gathered unimaginable abilities, absorbing as many demonic souls as I could. However, once the war was over, many of the demons had been destroyed. And since I was the strongest demon at the time, all of their souls flew to me."

Clive squinted. "So, you gathered all of that energy?" Haruko nodded. "Oh yes, but you see, it was too much demonic energy for my body to handle, so my physical body died, but my soul revived myself, creating a new body from the planet and all the energies I had gathered."

"So that new body was that true state you transformed into?" Jet asked as Clive glanced at him.

Haruko glanced at his hand. "Yes, the humans knew my power was much to great for me to be destroyed. The only possible way to rid Filgaia of me was to lock my power inside of myself and imprison me in that horrid mask. But you see, I will eradicate Filgaia and all those pitiful humans. I was forsaken! An outcast! But no more! You humans brought this on yourself for squandering the planet of its energy!"

"But have you know compassion?! The humans that live today are not responsible for the actions the humans of the past committed!"

Haruko chuckled. "Compassion? You want me to show compassion for humans who know nothing but anger and hatred? Surely you're joking. Maybe had you asked me that question a few centuries ago I might've obliged, but you humans had your chance, and you failed."

Jet raised his ARMs. "Okay, but did you really think we were going to let you just blow everything up?"

Haruko smirked. "On the contrary Mr. Enduro, I just hope you don't think this will be easy," he stated as he held out his hand, a large sphere of dark energy forming in it. "Now, allow me to show you a taste of the greatest power!"

Haruko fired the beam of energy, aiming straight for Jet, who quickly used an Arcana spell to protect himself.

The blast hit the circular shield head- on, most of it deflecting off and heading back to the straight path. Clive and Todd watched in awe as the blast sailed through the tower, continuing on until it hit Filgaia down below.

Jet noticed the shield cracking as the blast continued with great pressure. A moment, later, the shield shattered, allowing the blast to collide with Jet, engulfing him in the dark energy.

"Do you see now Mr. Enduro? The power of the planet limitless."

Jet slowly stood up. "Damn that was strong," he muttered as Haruko prepared to attack again.

Todd suddenly ran before Jet. "He won't survive another blast, stop this!"

Haruko began to laugh. "Stop? You want me to stop?! Unfortunately, that's not an option!"

He fired the next blast, but it suddenly stopped and bounce back at Haruko, knocking him against the wall.

Todd glanced back at Jet to see him holding out his hand. "What did you do?"

Jet looked down at his hand and then back at Haruko. "I don't know, it was instant."

Haruko grinned. "I see, the only power which can cancel out the planet's energy is the planet's energy itself."

Clive thought for a moment. "Of course! Jet, you a have a small part of the planet within you."

Jet glanced at Clive. "You're right, but why did it just happen right now?"

Haruko began to laugh. "How interesting. The only way I know how to activate the Forbidden energy would be to have a large amount of demonic energy within you."

The gems suddenly began to glow and rise from the walls. They then flew to Jet's ARMs, gathering around it and merging with.

A sudden flash of light occurred before it dissipated, revealing the crystallized weapon from the ruin leading into the ancient city.

Haruko chuckled slightly before waving his right hand, causing the gems to seal Todd and Clive against the wall.

"I'm so very sorry, but I think this is between me and Mr. Enduro, don't you think?"

(If you don't remember, Morgan had gave Jet some of the liquefied gem they used to defeat Saiin. Saiin held the ability to recover, which is why Jet mysteriously healed at those certain moments. So, Morgan not only saved Jet, but gave our Drifter heroes a fighting chance.)


	38. Chapter Thirty Two

The Demon Lord, Haruko-Chapter Thirty Two

"What was that?!" Gallows exclaimed urgently as Virginia ran out of the room.

"It's like a part of this place was blown off." A sudden, violent tremble occurred, causing Virginia to stumble over the edge, barely grabbing on as Gallows ran to her, attempting to assist her up.

"You okay Ginny?!" Virginia glanced down. "I'm a bit queasy."

"You know Mr. Enduro, this can all be avoided. But I must know, why do any one of you even care? What if Filgaia dies, so do you. No grief, why do you resist? No more worries, the root of the problem vanquished!"

Jet rubbed his eyes. "Personally, I don't give a damn about much, but I don't exactly want to die."

Haruko smiled. "Fine, you've sealed your fate. I'm going to have to kill you."

Jet barely avoided the blast as it sailed past him, but was hit by the second, which knocked him against the wall.

"You still have a chance, all of you. But I'm presuming you prefer a slow, painful death, over one that's over in an instant?" he asked, preparing another blast.

Jet spat out some blood while standing up. "I guess I'll tell you later."

Haruko gritted his teeth. "Enough! If this is the choice of all humans, let them burn!"

Jet raised the weapon and fired, the yellow blast of energy colliding with the demon, causing a large explosion.

"Is that the best? I'm disappointed," Haruko stated as he stepped from the smoke, his skin partially scorched, however, it soon recovered.

Jet gritted his teeth. "Plan B then."

He quickly leapt in the air, charging up the cannon as he landed. Haruko smirked as he knocked the weapon aside, blasting. Jet moved his head and raised the gun, firing as the demon grabbed his throat.

Jet repeatedly pulled the trigger, the shots sailing through Haruko as he remained a tight grasp on the Drifter's neck.

Haruko winced as he raised his left hand to Jet's eye level. "You didn't think it would be this would you know Mr. Enduro?"

The demon fired the blast, sending his opponent crashing against the wall, blasting a second one as Jet raised his weapon as a shield.

The weapon absorbed the blast as Jet flung it to his left hand, firing the new energy at its master, knocking him through the room and into the sky.

Jet quickly jumped outside, blasting Haruko one last time before grasping the ledge.

The demon suddenly stopped and rose up to his feet, breathing heavily as Jet prepared to attack once more.

Haruko grasped his chest as he hovered in mid- air. "Amusing... You can't keep firing that weapon. It demands large amounts of energy from you."

Jet gritted his teeth, pulling the trigger. Haruko smirked as he simply knocked the blast aside, firing one of his own from his free hand.

The blast collided with the weapon, the impact strong enough to knock Jet out of the other side of the tower, landing in a brushy area.

Haruko staggered into the room, glancing at the activation key to the tower's cannon. He then glanced at Clive and Todd before holding out both of his hands, seemingly charging up another attack.

Haruko smirked, firing the massive wave of energy as Jet slowly stood up, barely shielding against the attack, the energy being absorbed by his weapon.

He gritted his teeth, deflecting the blast and pulling the trigger, unleashing his own blast.

The huge energy blast collided with Haruko unexpectedly, engulfing him.

The crystal around Clive and Todd shattered as the demon was wiped out completely by the attack.

Jet fell to his knees, breathing heavily as he placed the blaster down.

"Amazing, the entire tower was wiped out," Todd stated as he and Clive stood over the massive pile of rubble.

"Indeed, it would seem so."

"What... was that?" Virginia asked slowly as a violent trembling began to occur. Gallows shrugged. "I don't know... but what is that?!" he exclaimed as what was left of the tower began to swirl around in somewhat of a tornado.

Jet spat out some more blood before slowly standing up. The pillars around the area lifted up, along with most of the stone and concrete.

"What is that thing?" Todd asked bewilderedly as the stone began to take form.

(Ugh... Well, on the bright side, I saw Kill Bill volumes 1&2 this past weekend before school. That movie's awesome!)


	39. Chapter Thirty Three

(All right, before we start, I have something to say. An idea for a sequel is bubbling in my head, and I'm wondering if I should do it. Besides that, there's probably only going to be one more chapter to this story, maybe two. Thanks for your cooperation.)

The Demon Lord, Haruko: Chapter Thirty- Three

The entire building felt as if it were to fall apart at any moment. Gravity seemed to be pulling the complex down as its weight decreased.

Virginia and Gallows fumbled upwards through the many floating and hovering boulders and platforms.

Clive felt the increasing speeds of the wind searing his face. Everything seemed to be being ripped apart as the massive structure before them grew and manipulated.

Jet climbed atop a cliff to witness the structure. He grew extremely weary, but was able to see completely.

The stones seemed to merge together as the hundreds of crystals and gems hovered to and joined the mass.

It seemed to grow the shape of a dragon, and the gems seemed to fuse together to create massive wings.

A sudden, violent tremble occurred as the building seemed to almost float up to the beast, seemingly merging with it.

"Whatâ€ in the world is that?" Todd asked nervously, his fear growing as the beast grew larger. Clive slowly shook his head. "I am not exactly sure, however, the atmosphere has grown extremely heavy. It is growing extremely difficult to breathe, even though it had already been."

Suddenly, however, the trembling stopped, leaving the floating beast amidst in the air, its wings gleaming.

The air suddenly stopped, as well as time.

In one massive flash of light the beast roared into life, causing Clive, Todd, and Jet to stumble as the small platform they stood upon shook.

Twin, blood red eyes formed over the stones of the dragon's giant face as the whole group stared in awe.

"Do you pathetic fools not understand yet? It is inevitable, Filgaia's fate lies with its destruction! Yes, it shall be destroyed by its own weapon, the Osiris Cannon!"

Haruko's voice reared through the air as Clive looked up in horror.

"The Osiris Cannon?! Was it not just a myth?"

Haruko roared as Jet glanced at Clive. "What are you blabbling about?! What cannon?!"

Clive nodded his head. "It was an extremely powerful weapon which was created near the end of the first era of the world, at least, that is what the legends speak of. Its power source was Filgaia itself, only that power could activate it. So, Haruko was after it all this time, this Saint's Tower is the Cannon itself!"

"Of course, however, I have merged my consciousness within the Cannon. Only the power of Filgaia can activate it, which is why I needed to break the seal over my ultimate power!"

Jet gritted his teeth. "I've had enough of this!" He aimed the blaster at Haruko's right wing and pulled the trigger, firing the beam of energy as it collided almost immediately with the gems.

The small explosion, which ensued, blocked the vision of the Drifters as Haruko's voice laughed in amusement, mocking Jet's attempt at an attack.

"Mr. Enduro, have you not realized yet? I am invincible! I no longer must suffer from the limits of my spiritual form! So now, prepare to die!"

Hundreds of small pores appeared from Haruko's body as he flashed brightly for a moment.

Multiple blasts of energy shot out from the pores at the Drifters, causing Jet, Clive, and Todd to sprint in opposite directions.

Each blast lacked the strength to cause damage, but accumulated they held enormous strength.

Jet hopped over a small obstacle, avoiding two blasts as Clive quickly spared one moment to cast Shield among himself.

However, he was not fast enough, and each of the blasts hit him directly.

"Clive!" Jet yelled in urgency as Haruko brought down his right claw, smashing Jet against a stone platform, causing him to slide off and grasp the edge.

Todd rounded a small corner, barely avoiding the last of the blasts.

However, a deep, pulsating pain within his chest exploded, causing him to shout in agony.

Haruko took full notice and roared. Two massive beams of light sprouted from his wings and encircled Todd, exploding on contact.

"I-Is that H-Haruko?" Gallows squealed in fright of the huge beast.

Virginia nodded. "Yeah, we have to hurry and help Jet and the others."

Virginia quickly climbed up the remaining stones and boulders.

Jet winced as he brought his hand down. He had attempted to shield Todd from the attack.

The smoke faded quickly, revealing Todd on his knees.

"Youâ€ I am becoming extremely irritated!" Haruko shouted as Jet began to climb the platforms surrounding his neck.

Clive coughed softly as the air grew thick. He quickly glanced at the situation, noticing Todd was shaking uncontrollably.

Todd screamed in pain once more as the black armor sprouted from his skin. "No, not now!" he thought in horror as he lost consciousness.

Ovius roared and knocked Clive to the ground as he sensed Haruko's energy, seemingly yearning it.

Clive sat up weakly, taking notice of Jet as he prepared to attack.

He waved his hand, causing a bright flash of light, which blinded everyone.

Jet rubbed his eyes as he fired the blaster, hitting Haruko in the forehead, causing a strange black light to seep out from it.

Jet stumbled from the platform, falling straight before Haruko's face; the demon noticing him immediately.

"Mr. Enduro!" Haruko fired a blast from his forehead, which seemed completely composed of the seeping energy.

Jet quickly guarded against the attack with the blaster, but the force of the attack shattered the weapon, causing him to fall to the ground faster.

Jet landed hard, his ARMs skidding away quickly.

Haruko prepared to finish him, but Ovius interfered, crashing his fist into the demon's claw, causing the arm to shatter, and fall upon Jet.

(I had initially intended to write more, but I'm tired. Sorry for the excruciatingly long wait.)


	40. Final Chapter: Part One

(Here it is, part one of the climax to my longest story yet. I decided I shall make a sequel, and, I know I keep forgetting, finally do the Disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I do not own, Jet, Virginia, Clive, Gallows, Maya, Alfred, Shady Todd(afro) Leehalt, Werner, Melody, Malik, Janus, Shalte and Tesla, Beatrice, Siegfried, and all other Wild Arms characters, they are owned by Media Vision and Sony.

I DO own Todd (blue hair), Haruko, Aaron, Saiin, and Morgan. I forgot Ovius as well.

Without further ado, I bring you the final installment to 'The Demon Lord, Haruko'.)

The Demon Lord, Haruko-Chapter Thirty Four; Part One

A slight drizzle had began to fall as Jet fought to pull himself out of the enormous pile of rubble which had previously existed as Haruko's stone claw.

The demon roared out in agony as Ovius raised his right arm and allowed it to be transformed into a large cannon. The beast began to charge the weapon as Virginia and Gallows finally pulled themselves onto the somewhat huge plateau of floating stone and concrete.

"What in the all of Filgaia is that thing?!" Gallows exclaimed gazing at the floating dragon.

Virginia rubbed her eyes quickly before responding, "It has to be Haruko."

Gallows's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's the demon; when did he become so, so, BIG?!"

Virginia glanced around and noticed Clive straining to stand before collapsing to the ground.

"Clive!"

The girl rushed over to her companion as Gallows took in the amazement of the recent development.

"Clive, are you all right? Clive!" Virginia exclaimed urgently as the green- haired rifleman concentrated on Ovius.

"I'm fine, there are more imperative things we need to be concerned about."

Virginia turned her head to see what Clive had pointed out.

Ovius fired his energy blast and watched it collide with Haruko's right arm in a deafening explosion.

"You… incompetent failure!" the demon raged as he swung his remaining claw at the armored juggernaut. The impact of the attack sent the beast flying, just as Jet climbed out of the rubble. He quickly rolled out of the way to avoid the projectile, which came to a halt as it crashed into the rubble and stone.

"Now, die!" Haruko yelled as hundreds of miniature cannons sprouted from his rock body and began to fire energy bursts rapidly at the fallen creature. The combined explosion of each and every blast destroyed the corresponding rock and stone underneath Ovius, as well as the surrounding area.

As smoke and rubble fell to the far ground, Todd's body fell as well, only to suddenly stop in midair.

Jet's mouth opened slightly in surprise as Todd was gently placed atop the platform.

"Jet!" The Drifter turned his head to see that Virginia had used the Gale Claw medium to stop Todd from falling to his death.

Jet nodded slowly before turning his gaze to Todd who was beginning to stand shakily.

"Enough of this foolishness, you Drifters have intruded on my plans for the final time!" Haruko roared in anger as a huge sphere of light began to form, growing with each passing moment.

The ball of light seemed to block out the sun as it stopped growing and began to slowly inch forward.

"Feel the sorrow of an eternity!" Haruko fired the great sphere as the Drifters barely ran to the far east and west of the platform, evading the attack just in time as it crashed into the platform, exploding in a blinding flash of light.

When the smoke cleared, all that was left of the original Saint's Tower were two small platforms, one housing Jet, who had picked up Todd and escorted him to safety, while the other held safety, at least for now, for Virginia, Gallows, and Clive.

"If he fires that attack again we're finished," Jet thought as Haruko growled anxiously.

"I must say, I did not expect you Drifters to have avoided my blast. It was meant to have eliminated you, but your survival forces me to fire the Osiris Cannon now."

Jet and Clive's eyes widened in fear as they realized Haruko's words; the Osiris Cannon only be fired once, at least that is what it sounded like from what Haruko had explained earlier, but the unimaginable power from the blast would leave Filgaia eradicated in an instant.

Jet gritted his teeth. "There has to be a way to stop the cannon, there has to be!" he muttered as a foreign thought entered his mind. The only way he had been able to battle the demon earlier was by using the small amount of the planet's energy within him. From what Haruko explained, the blast was composed entirely of the amount of Filgaia's energy which resided within him.

Jet closed his eyes as he heard a loud trembling noise. The platforms were shaking, almost in fear, at the amount of energy which was growing within the cannon which composed all of Haruko's body beneath his stone abdomen.

Jet nodded solemnly as Todd stood up. The Drifter figured he would have to cancel out the blast by using the energy within him, thus, most likely, destroying his body.

(And so, my computer crisis is finally over and I can finish the story. Well, read and review!)


	41. Final Chapter: Part Two

(Finally, the last chapter for "The Demon Lord, Haruko". The sequel will be dubbed, "The Myth of Crystaelius", just for you all to know. Anyway, enjoy!)

The Demon Lord, Haruko-Chapter Thirty Four; Part Two

Todd spat out some blood as he winced in pain. His body felt extremely sore, hurting every time he inched or moved. His vision was also somewhat blurry, but began to clear as the small specks of water clashed on his face as the once drizzle of rain had advanced to a beginning thunderstorm.

Jet watched in wait as the Osiris Cannon began to charge slower than before, as if the amount was becoming too large. Haruko did not seem to move either, as if his entire concentration had to be focused on the gathering of the energy.

Clive had just finished his rushed explanation of what Haruko had explained to Jet, Todd, and himself, less than thirty minutes before.

"Now that I look at it from the way you explained, I feel kind of sad for Haruko," Virginia commented as Gallows shook his head. "How do we know he was even a goody- two- shoes before he transformed? His energy absorption clearly made him power hungry."

Virginia giggled slightly at Gallows's statement. "Wow, you actually said something that sounded pretty intellectual," she stammered between giggles. "And what is that supposed to mean?" Gallows snapped back, seemingly a little annoyed by the statement.

Clive closed his eyes, contemplating their next action. In actuality, they were defeated. Clive could not figure any way to disrupt or stopped the blast, and once the planet was destroyed, they would all suffocate and die in the freezing climate of space.

Yet, he refused to surrender and give up hope. He, along with the rest of his companions, each had at least one person they cared for or wished to protect.

Still though, the situation seemed inescapable, and their list of options had withered away to nothing.

"Mr. Jet?" The white- haired Drifter turned around suddenly, seemingly surprised by Todd's recent, and unexpected, inquiring.

"What is it?" Jet asked as Todd sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Jet asked, trying to keep his concentration on Haruko.

Todd sighed once more. "I've caused quite a burden for you and the others. You all saved my life, and yet, I've done nothing but hold you all back from fighting to your foulest. I've even gone to the extreme of attempting to kill you people."

Jet shook his head. "That was Ovius; you were just being used."

Todd smiled slightly. "No, Ovius and I are the same entity, the same person. Our minds were fused together when the Ovius chip was attached onto my brain." Todd sighed, somewhat relieved.

"But you know what? I don't resent the fact that I am cursed, or that I'm an outcast. It was because of all the events that happened that I became a Drifter and met all of you. In a way, I'm blessed, because my past self was able to see his brother again."

Todd smiled fully this time, a single tear beginning to form on his eye, but he quickly brushed it away.

"But you're still you, regardless of whether or not you lost your memories. Filgaia was reborn from everyone's memories, but I had nothing to do with it. The Jet Enduro I used to be contributed much more than I did. But I have to take his place, which is why I have to stop that cannon," Jet stated as Todd nodded, his smile fading away.

"I see. You're planning to cancel out the blast, right?"

Jet nodded. "It might not work, but it's worth a shot."

Todd gritted his teeth. "So, you're just going to throw your life away so effortlessly?!" he shouted. The sadness he had exhibited just a moment ago disappeared as his voice became filled with anger.

The sulky Drifter winced at this comment before replying, "What other choice do we have?! We're out of options, there's nothing left!"

"The blast will kill you though, and how do we know it'll even work?!" Jet closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. "Well, if we don't do something we're all going to die anyway."

The blue- haired boy began to cry slightly. "No, I can't let you kill yourself. I'll do it; I'll be the one to go… instead of you!"

Todd let the statement hang in the air as he attempted to hold on to the rest of his tears. Jet seemed surprised at the statement, but regained his composure instantly as the platforms shook violently once more. "Okay, and what makes you think you can stop the blast?"

Todd rubbed his eyes before answering, "I can force the Ovius energy to shield me. It won't let me die so it'll take the blast. The energy from the collision should be enough to stop the blast."

Jet sighed. "Fine, do what you want. You're not stopping me from doing what I'm going to do anyway."

Haruko felt the pressure becoming too high. The Drifters had weakened him slightly, so he could not hold as much energy as before, but alas, it was enough power to incinerate all of Filgaia and all of its inhabitants.

The shaking began again and continued as Haruko stopped charging. "All right then, watch, my good friends, as your beloved little planet is annihilated!"

Jet turned quickly away from Todd. "This is my only chance," he thought as he began to sprint to the edge of the platform.

Todd realized he was intending to jump off in time to be in range of the blast before it collided with anything else. He quickly dashed to stop his comrade, but was too late. The white- haired Drifter sprang from the platform and began to somewhat hover, slowly falling and beginning to gain speed.

Todd looked down at the endless drop before hesitantly jumping off after Jet, the wind scarring his face as the rain worsened.

"What do they think they're doing, committing suicide or something?!" Gallows exclaimed in surprise as he watched the two fall through the air about two yards away. Fear began to swell up within Virginia as she anticipated the fate of he companions, as well as the fate of her friends.

Even Haruko seemed bewildered, but he and Clive quickly understood what they were doing.

"No, he can't! I will not allow my ambition to be halted here!" Haruko roared as the demon fired the Osiris Cannon, intending to end the battle once and for all.

Time seemed to stop completely, every motion blurred as the enormous beam of golden energy sailed towards Jet. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the end.

However, something happened that he did not expect. The blast hit him, but seemed to flow right through him.

He quickly turned his head to see Todd absorbing the energy. "It's not possible! How could a feeble, weak human such as he absorb the greatest power?!"

The answer was clear though. Todd was channeling the power to Ovius. His body however, was at an extreme risk of exploding since he, along with Ovius, shared the same body.

Yet, a moment later, the absorption stopped, and the energy flew straight back at Jet and Haruko!

The blast had weakened tremendously, but was still powerful enough to be shot back by Haruko and collide with Filgaia.

Jet gritted his teeth as he focused to try and bring forth what little of Filgaia's energy he had within him.

A light green barrier surrounded Jet as the blast engulfed him instantly. However, the energy of the blast seemed different now. It felt weaker somehow, but its overall feeling had changed; it was not the energy of Filgaia.

Jet felt horrid. The blast was draining him as it merged with his own energy. Yet, he fought it; the blast seemed almost controllable though, almost usable.

The Drifter ground his teeth even harder before shouting in agony as he directed the blast back at Haruko.

The demon could never have comprehended the recent events as the blast slammed through him, gradually incinerating his stone shell. The total energy mass of the attack felt completely different than before. Part of it felt human, some of it even demonic, however, most of it was Filgaia's energy, and the power was much too strong for Haruko to control.

"How… I should have com…completed my goal. I suppose I was defeated once again… Are you happy… Mr. Enduro…?"

Most of the stone beast exploded as its remnants fell to the rocky surface. Jet and Todd slowly floated to the ground, as if an abnormal energy was guiding them to safety.

Tears, yet not of sadness, began to form in Virginia's eyes. The platform which sustained them had already begun to fall to the ground, forcing the three Drifters to jump off.

Virginia, seeing the entire group was falling too quickly, called out, "Lombardia!"

Almost instantly, the dragon sailed through the sky towards them, scooping them up as the last pieces of the Osiris Cannon, along with last body of Haruko, crashed to the ground.

Todd coughed out blood as he began to regain consciousness. He felt warm, extremely tired, and somewhat dizzy.

He attempted to sit up; however, his muscles were stiff and sore, causing him to wince in pain. There was a dusty smell in the room, the lights were dimmed, and, for some reason, he felt at calm. There was a certain peace, as if everything seemed right.

Todd slowly crept out of the bed, gradually beginning to walk as he tried to exit the room and travel downstairs.

Virginia gulped down the last of her glass of milk and let out a sigh of relief. Dawn came and went so fast, as if it was brushing off and ending the last segment in her life. It seemed so distant now, even though they escaped from Saint's Tower just the day before.

"Ms. Virginia?"

The girl turned her head to see Todd walking off of the last step of the staircase.

Virginia smiled at the sight of the boy, standing up slowly. "Todd, are you feeling okay? Hungry?" Todd shook his head. "No, I'm feeling all right, just a little sore," he replied, taking a seat across the table from her.

Virginia sat back down, rubbing her eyes. "We're in Jolly Roger if you're curious. The others are outside."

"Is Mr. Jet all right?" he asked as she nodded. "He's as normal as usual."

Todd leaned back against the wooden chair. "So, what are you guys going to do now?" Virginia answered, "I'm going to go back to my hometown of Boot Hill for a few days, probably just rest and check up on friends and family before going out again. Filgaia is restoring itself little by little. I really don't want to miss it."

Todd stood up and walked over to the doorway of the inn. "Well then, I hope you the best Ms. Virginia, just in case we never see each other again."

Virginia solemnly nodded as Todd walked out.

Gallows prepared his horse silently as Clive repaired a slight scratch on his rifle. "I suppose this is our goodbyes," the green- haired Drifter stated. Gallows nodded. "Yep, I'm sort of sad, seemed like forever, but now I can focus that much more on becoming a Baskar priest."

"Good luck then," Clive commented as Gallows readied to leave to Baskar Colony. "I already said goodbye to Ginny so leave my goodbyes to the punk and Todd," he ordered, before riding off into the sandy wasteland.

Todd walked outside as Clive was preparing to leave as well. "Mr. Clive, tell Catherine and Kaiytlin(not sure if it's spelled right) hello for me."

Clive nodded and smiled as Jet exited Emilia's ARMs-smith workshop.

"Hopefully we'll all be able to meet up again some day. Until then, I suppose it is good luck to all of you."

Clive nodded one final time before trekking out of Jolly Roger, leaving Jet and Todd alone outside.

Todd reluctantly approached Jet, scratching his head as the white- haired Drifter placed his ARMs away as well as a few other items.

"Mr. Jet, I had been thinking about this for a little over a few days, but I was wondering if I could travel with you for a while?"

Jet glanced over at Todd for a moment, considering the question. "I guess so, just as long as you don't get in the way."

Todd smiled. "Thank you, really, thank you."

"So, I guess you guys are leaving too?"

Virginia walked over to the boys, a slight smile on her face. Jet somewhat hesitantly held out his hand for a handshake, but Virginia suddenly latched herself onto him in a tight embrace.

"What are you doing?!" Jet asked, seemingly irritated by the action. Virginia giggled before letting go. "It was a hug for good fortune and good luck." The girl then embraced Todd, but he noticed the hug was not as affectionate for him as it was for Jet.

"Well, anyways, see ya," the sulky Drifter hurriedly stated, slightly blushing as he began to walk off. Todd nodded to Virginia before saying, "Yes, like before, good luck and goodbye Ms. Virginia."

Virginia sighed as Todd rushed to keep up with Jet. "Yeah, bye guys."

(There, I'm ending it there. This has been an enthralling experience for me to write a story that I find fun and interesting. I'm going to try get in the first two or three chapters of "The Myth of Crystaelius" in tomorrow and Saturday, so you can look forward to that. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.)


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